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cryptic species

American  
[krip-tik spee-sheez] / ˈkrɪp tɪk ˈspi ʃiz /

noun

  1. a species that is genetically distinct from one or more other species but morphologically identical.


Example Sentences

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See Examples For:

They found different methods consistently revealed an extremely large number of cryptic species which underscored how much biodiversity remained hidden.

From BBC Jun. 30, 2026

"Grasshoppers are cryptic species, they hide because they're tasty. When they're quite pink, they can't hide as well," Halpin said.

From BBC Jun. 22, 2026

More recent models that factor in cryptic species suggest the true number could be far higher, possibly ranging from 7 to 250 times that figure.

From Science Daily Mar. 9, 2026

"On average, morphologically based species of fishes, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and other vertebrate groups all seemed to be hiding around two cryptic species."

From Science Daily Mar. 3, 2026

According to Zhang, conservation programs aimed at increasing population numbers could accidentally breed individuals from different species if cryptic species are not properly identified.

From Science Daily Mar. 3, 2026

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