|
|
Glossary
A - E
- AOR
- Alive on Road.
- Aquatic
- Dwelling in the water. Most reptiles and amphibians are technically semiaquatic.
- Arboreal
- Dwelling in the trees.
- Barbel
- Fleshy, whiskerlike protrusion from the head or chin.
- Carapace
- Upper shell of a turtle.
- Carrion
- Dead and decaying flesh.
- Carnivorous
- Preying upon other animals; "meat eater".
- Cloaca
- Common chamber of the urinary, digestive, and reproductive canals. Also called a vent. It is somewhat analogous to an anus.
- Crepuscular
- Active at dawn and dusk.
- Dewlap
- Loose fold of the neck, often used for mating or territorial displays.
- Diurnal
- Active during the daylight.
- DOR
- Dead on Road.
- Dorsal
- Pertaining to the upper surface. In vertebrates, the backside.
- Dorsolateral
- Intermediate area between the back and sides.
- Eft
- Mid-life terrestrial stage of a newt.
- Endothermic
- Producing body heat through internal metabolic reactions, as in birds and mammals; "warm blooded".
- Ectothermic
- Gaining body heat through external heat sources, as in amphibians and reptiles; "cold blooded".
- Extant
- Still having living members; not extinct.
- Extinct
- Having no living members.
- Extirpation
- Local extinction event.
- Barbels
- Fleshy, whiskerlike protrusion from the head or chin.
- Carnivore
- Preying upon other animals; "meat eater".
- Carnivores
- Preying upon other animals; "meat eater".
- Dorsum
- Pertaining to the upper surface. In vertebrates, the backside.
- Efts
- Mid-life terrestrial stage of a newt.
- Endotherm
- Producing body heat through internal metabolic reactions, as in birds and mammals; "warm blooded".
- Endotherms
- Producing body heat through internal metabolic reactions, as in birds and mammals; "warm blooded".
- Ectotherm
- Gaining body heat through external heat sources, as in amphibians and reptiles; "cold blooded".
- Ectotherms
- Gaining body heat through external heat sources, as in amphibians and reptiles; "cold blooded".
- Extinction
- Having no living members.
- Extirpate
- Local extinction event.
- Extirpated
- Local extinction event.
- Extirpates
- Local extinction event.
F - J
- Fossorial
- Dwelling underground.
- Gravid
- Bearing eggs or young; "pregnant".
- Herbivorous
- Consuming plant material; "plant eater".
- Herp
- From the Greek Herpeton. Refers to a reptile or amphibian.
- Herpetocultural
- Refers to the captive husbandry of reptiles and amphibians.
- Herpetofauna
- From the Greek Herpeton and "fauna", which means life. Refers to reptile and amphibian life.
- Herpetologist
- One who studies reptiles and amphibians.
- Herpetology
- The study of reptiles and amphibians.
- Insectivorous
- Preying upon insects, spiders, and other arthropods; "insect eater".
- Herbivore
- Consuming plant material; "plant eater".
- Herbivores
- Consuming plant material; "plant eater".
- Herps
- From the Greek Herpeton. Refers to a reptile or amphibian.
- Herping
- The activity of looking for "herps": reptiles and amphibians.
- Herptile
- Variation of "herp". From the Greek Herpeton. Refers to a reptile or amphibian.
- Herptiles
- Variation of "herp". From the Greek Herpeton. Refers to a reptile or amphibian.
- Herpetologists
- One who studies reptiles and amphibians.
- Insectivore
- Preying upon insects, spiders, and other arthropods; "insect eater".
- Insectivores
- Preying upon insects, spiders, and other arthropods; "insect eater".
K - O
- Keel
- A ridge. In turtles, refers to a middorsal ridge of the carapace. In snakes, refers to a longitudinal ridge on a dorsal scale.
- Labial
- Pertaining to the lips.
- Larva
- Early stage of development in an organism, prior to metamorphosis. In amphibians, the early aquatic form.
- Lateral
- Pertaining to the sides.
- Metamorphosis
- A transformation in which the previous life stage is markedly different than the resulting one.
- Middorsal
- Middle of the back. In vertebrates, refers to the "line of the backbone".
- Nocturnal
- Active at night.
- Omnivorous
- Consuming a variety of materials, both plant and animal.
- Keels
- A ridge. In turtles, refers to a middorsal ridge of the carapace. In snakes, refers to a longitudinal ridge on a dorsal scale.
- Keeled
- A ridge. In turtles, refers to a middorsal ridge of the carapace. In snakes, refers to a longitudinal ridge on a dorsal scale.
- Larvae
- Early stage of development in an organism, prior to metamorphosis. In amphibians, the early aquatic form.
- Larval
- Early stage of development in an organism, prior to metamorphosis. In amphibians, the early aquatic form.
- Metamorph
- An organism in a transitional period between major life stages.
- Metamorphs
- An organism in a transitional period between major life stages.
- Metamorphized
- Having undergone a transformation from an earlier life stage.
- Omnivore
- Consuming a variety of materials, both plant and animal.
- Omnivores
- Consuming a variety of materials, both plant and animal.
P - T
- Parotoid Gland
- Large wart-like gland located behind each eye of toads.
- Plastron
- Lower shell of a turtle.
- Poisonous
- Refers to an organism that carries a poison, but lacks an injecting mechanism. Compare to venomous.
- Rugose
- Rough in texture; ridged or wrinkled.
- Scavenger
- An animal that eats dead and decaying flesh.
- Scute
- A larger scale on a reptile; usually referencing turtle shell plates or larger scales on crocodilians.
- Semiaquatic
- Literally, "somewhat of the water". Dwelling in or near the water.
- Tadpole
- A larval frog.
- Terrestrial
- Dwelling on the ground.
- Tympanum
- Eardrum; usually in reference to the external ear disk of frogs.
- Parotoid Glands
- Large wart-like gland located behind each eye of toads.
- Poison
- A toxic substance that is swallowed or absorbed. Compare to venom.
- Poisons
- A toxic substance that is swallowed or absorbed. Compare to venom.
- Scutes
- A larger scale on a reptile; usually referencing turtle shell plates or larger scales on crocodilians.
- Scavengers
- An animal that eats dead and decaying flesh.
- Tadpoles
- A larval frog.
U - Z
- Venomous
- Refers to an organism that can inject venom via a delivery mechanism, such as stinger, fangs, etc. Compare to poisonous.
- Ventral
- Pertaining to the lower surface. In vertebrates, the belly.
- Venom
- A toxic substance that is delivered through means of a stinger or fangs. Compare to poison.
- Venoms
- A toxic substance that is delivered through means of a stinger or fangs. Compare to poison.
- Venter
- Pertaining to the lower surface. In vertebrates, the belly.
|
