Glossary

AESTIVATE - To remain inactive during a prolonged period of high temperatures or drought, usually while hidden. (also ESTIVATE)

ALBINO - An animal with a congenital absence of pigment in the skin and eyes (which are typically pink.)

ALLOPATRIC - Describes two or more taxa which have geographic ranges that are completely separated. (Compare with SYMPATRIC and PARAPATRIC.)

AMELANISTIC - Lacking melanin, or dark pigment, but not all pigment, as with an ALBINO.

AMPLEXUS - The sexual embrace of a male amphibian (when a male frog or salamander clasps the female from behind or above with his forelimbs either in the chest or axillary region, or at the waist.)

ANAL SPUR - Vestigial hind limbs on each side of the vent of a boid snake appearing as a pointed spur.

ANERYTHRISTIC - Lacking the red (or orange) coloration (erythrin) which normally occurs. (EG. a snake that is normally black, red, and white, that is black and white only.)

ANTERIOR - Toward the front or head end.

ANTIBIOSIS - an antagonistic association between two organisms in which one is adversely affected.

ANURAN - A frog or toad.

APOSEMATIC - (of coloration or markings) serving to warn or repel predators. Colored or constructed in a way that indicates special capabilities for defense.

AQUATIC - Frequenting, living, or growing in water.

ARBOREAL - Living in trees or shrubs.

ARENICOLOUS - Inhabiting sand.

ATTENUATED - Thin or slender.

AUTOTOMY - The spontaneous casting off of the tail when under attack. Lizards and Salamanders both have the ability to release the tail when it has been grasped, and sometimes when it hasn't. The tail continues wiggling which distracts the predator allowing the lizard or salamander to escape. The tail later regenerates or grows back, although not usually to the same length.

AXILLARY - Relating to the armpits.

BARBEL - A nipple-like projection. A slender tactile fleshy growth.

BATRACHOLOGY - the study of amphibians.

BATSIAN MIMICRY - a form of mimicry where a harmless species has evolved to imitate the warning signals (such as aposematic coloring) of a harmful species with which it shares a common predator.

BIOTIC -  of, relating to, or resulting from living things, especially in their ecological relation.

BOSS - A raised rounded area (often inbetween the eyes of a toad.)

CARAPACE - The upper part of the shell of a turtle.

CAUDAL - Pertaining to the tail.

CAUDALS - The scales beneath the tail (often in two rows on some snakes.) (SUBCAUDALS)

CLINAL VARIATION - A geographic character gradient - (differences in color or pattern in one species at southern point in range from northern).

CLINE - A gradual change in a variable characteristic.

CLOACA - The cavity at the end of the digestive tract which serves for excretion and reproduction (see VENT.)

CLUTCH - A group of eggs fertilized at the same time, and typically laid in a single session and incubated together.

COLD-BLOODED - Without a constant body temperature regulated by the animal's metabolism. A cold-blooded animal adjusts its body temperature by exposing it to warmer or cooler situations, such as basking in the sun, or going underground.

COMMENSALISM - an association between two organisms in which one benefits and the other derives neither benefit nor harm.

COSTAL FOLDS - The vertical folds of skin on the sides of the body of a salamander between the costal grooves.

COSTAL GROOVES - The vertical grooves in the skin on the sides of the body of a salamander between the costal folds.

CRANIAL CREST - The raised ridges on the head of a toad, either between or behind the eyes.

CREPUSCULAR - Active during twilight; active at dawn and dusk.

CRYPSIS -The ability to avoid observation or detection. Camouflaging behavior.

CYCLOID SCALES - Smooth rounded scales.

DIMORPHIC - Different in color or structure (males and females of a species are SEXUALLY DIMORPHIC when they differ in color or structure.)

DIMORPHISM - Difference in color or structure between members of the same species. (Sexual dimorphism is differences between males and females of the species.)

DIURNAL - Active during daytime.

DORSAL - Relating to the upper side or back.

DORSOLATERAL - Involving the upper surfaces of the sides below the back.

DORSOLATERAL FOLD - The glandular ridge running lengthwise on the sides or back of a frog.

DORSUM - The upper part of the body or back.

ECOLOGY - the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings,

ECOSYSTEM - A biological community of interacting organisms and their physical environment; the interaction among plants and animals in a given environment.

ENDEMIC - Native or confined to a certain region or country.

ESTIVATE - To remain inactive during a prolonged period of hight temperatures or drought, usually while hidden. (Aestivate)

EXOTIC - Not native to a region; originating elsewhere; Alien

FEMORAL PORES - Small openings on the undersides of the thighs of some lizards.

FIELDHERPING - The activity of searching for wild herps. ("Wild" meaning living in a natural environment (the field); not captive or domesticated.)
Motives for fieldherping include, but are not limited to, observation, lifelisting, photography, and collecting herps. (Many herpers use the term "Herping" to mean "Fieldherping," but Herping has now become a catch-all term to incude any herp-related activity.)

FORM - A species, subspecies, or distinct identifiable population.

FOSSORIAL - Adapted for burrowing.

GENUS - A group of closely related species having common characteristics distinct from those of other such groupings.

GILLS - The paired respiratory organ of salamanders by which oxygen is extracted from water.

GRANULES - Very small, flat scales.

GRAVID - Bearing eggs or young.

GULAR - Pertaining to the throat.

HABITAT - The natural home or environment of an organism.

HATCHLING - A recently hatched animal; an animal that has recently emerged from an egg.

HEMIPENIS - Either of the paired copulatory organs of male snakes and lizards.

HERP - A reptile, amphibian, or amphisbaenian (ie frogs, toads, salamanders, caecilians, turtles, lizards, snakes, crocodiles, alligators, and worm lizards.) (The                 term is short for Herptile, which is a composite of Herpetology and Reptile.)

HERPETOCULTURE - Keeping live herps in captivity.

HERPETOFAUNA - Live herps.

HERPETOLOGY - The study of amphibians and/or reptiles.

HERPER - A person who is involved with herps.

HERPING - Any activity involving captive or wild herps, including, but not limited to, fieldherping, herp photography, going to reptile shows and pet stores, and   researching herps online or in a library. (The word once referred to fieldherping, but it has been appropriated by herpers who are not involved in fieldherping.)

HERPTILE - a reptile or amphibian.

HIBERNACULUM - A place where an animal seeks refuge from cold temperatures in order to hibernate, or overwinter.

HYDRIC  - very wet.

HORIZONTAL PUPIL - An elliptical pupil with its long axis horizontal.

HYBRID - The offspring of the mating of two distinct species.

HYPOMELANISTIC - lacking melanin or dark pigmentation.

INDIGENOUS - Originating or occurring naturally in a particular place; native.

INGUINAL - Of, relating to, or located in the Groin.

INTERGRADE - An animal that shares the characteristics of two closely related subspecies of the same species (but is not a specific subspecies as it does not show the exact characteristics of any subspecies.) Animals within intergrade zones are usually highly variable in appearance.

INTERSPACE - the patch of color between markings (bands or blotches) on lizards and snakes.

JUVENILE - A young animal not yet sexually mature, often showing colors and proportions that differ from adults of the species.

KEEL - A ridge that runs lengthwise along the center of a scale.

LABIAL - Relating to the lips.

LARVA (pl. LARVAE) - An immature form of a frog or salamander that must undergo metamorphosis to assume adult characteristics.

LATERAL - Referring to the side.

LATERAL STRIPE - A stripe running lengthwise along the body.

LENTIC - inhabiting or situated in still fresh water.

LOTIC - inhabiting or situated in rapidly moving fresh water.

MELANIN - dark (black or brown) pigment.

MELANISTIC - A condition of dark coloration of the skin due to a high concentration of the pigment melanin. (An unusual amount of black pigmentation.)

MELANOPHORE - A pigment cell containing melanin.

MENTAL GLAND - A gland on the chins of some male salamanders, the secretions from which are used to stimulate a sexual response in females of the species.

MESIC - of, pertaining to or adapted to a habitat or environment containing a moderate amount of moisture.

METAMORPH - A recently metamorphosed frog, toad, or salamander.

METAMORPHOSE - To undergo metamorphosis from a larval state to an adult state (frogs and toads and certain salamanders.)

MICROHABITAT - A small part of an animal's habitat. (For example: the area under a rock which the animal utilizes occasionally, as opposed to the surrounding habitat where the rock is found.)

MONOTYPIC - A genus with only one species; the only representative of a group.

MORPHOLOGY - the study of the forms of living organisms, and with relationships between their structures.

MORPHOTYPE - A physically distinct population with a geographical range that does not conform to taxonomy based on molecular evidence (includes many accepted subspecies.)

MOTTLED - Irregularly marked with blotches and spots.

MÜLLERIAN MIMICRY - when two harmful species that are not closely related and share common predators have evolved to mimic each others warning signals.

NARES - Nostrils

NASOLABIAL GROOVE - A fine groove that extends from the nostril to the edge of the lip in plethodontid salamanders.

NATIVE - Of indigenous origin or growth; a local inhabitant; associated with a country or region.

NEONATE - A newborn.

NEOTENIC - Remaining in the aquatic larval condition beyond the usual time of metamorphosis.

NEOTENY - Retention of juvenile characteristics in the adults of a species; Retaining larval features throughout adult life.

NEUROTOXIC - Components of snake venom that damage the nervous system and often causing paralysis.

NOCTURNAL - Active at night.

NONVENOMOUS - Not capable of producing a venom that is dangerous to humans. (Many snakes long considered nonvenomous have been found to produce a venom that is harmful to their prey, usually through small rear fangs that very rarey can inject this venom into humans.)

NUCHAL - Referring to the back of the neck.

NUPTIAL PAD - A rough patch of dark skin on the fingers of some male amphibians during the breeding season to help the male hold on to a female during amplexus.

OCELLI - Round, eye-like spots.

OCULAR SCALE - The enlarged scale covering the vestigial eyes on a blind snake (threadsnake.)

OPHIDIAN - Referring to snakes.

OPHIOPHAGOUS - Feeding on snakes.

OVIPAROUS - Producing eggs that hatch after they are laid

PAEDOMORPH - An adult organism that has retained the juvenile characteristics.

PEDOGENESIS - Neoteny.

PAPILLAE - Small, nipple-like protuberances.

PARAPATRIC - Describes two or more taxa which have geographic ranges that meet but do not overlap substantially. (Compare with ALLOPATRIC and SYMPATRIC.)

PARASITE - an organism that lives on an organism (its host) and benefits by deriving nutrients at the expense of the host.

PAROTOID GLANDS - Wartlike poison glands that occur on the backs, the necks, the shoulders, and the tails of some toads and salamanders.

PARTHENOGENESIS - Reproduction without fertilization by a male.

PECTORAL - Relating to the chest.

PLASTRON - The underside of the shell of a turtle.

PLETHODONS - Lung-less salamanders of the genus Plethodon.

POLYMORPHIC - Occurring in several different forms. (A species is polymorphic when it contains a number of different color morphs with respect to ground color, blotching, stripes, flecking, within and between populations, including clutches.)

POSTERIOR - Referring to the rear part of the body.

POLYMORPHISM - Having more than one form or appearance.

POSTANAL SCALE - A scale in back of the vent.

POSTOCULAR - Behind the eye.

POSTOCULAR STRIPE - A stripe behind the eye.

PREANAL SCALE - A scale in front of the vent.

PREHENSILE - A tail that can grasp or wrap around something.

PREOCULAR - In front of the eyes.

RACE - Subspecies.

RIPARIAN - Wetlands adjacent to rivers and streams.

SAXICOLOUS - Living or growing among rocks (saxatile).

SEMIAQUATIC - Moving in and out of water, but not containing gills to extract oxygen from water.

SCANSORIAL - Adapted for climbing. Habitually climbing.

SCUTE - One of the horny plates covering the shell of a turtle. A large scale.

SUBADULT - An animal that is not fully adult.

SUBCAUDALS - The scales beneath the tail (often in two rows on some snakes.) (CAUDALS)

SUBOCULAR - Beneath the eye

SUBSPECIES - A subdivision of a species which ranks below species, usually a fairly permanent geographically isolated race.

SVL - (Snout-to-Vent Length) Length measured from the snout to the vent.

SYMBIOSIS - a mutually beneficial interaction between two different organisms living in physical association.

SYNONYMIZE - To demonsrate that a taxonomic name is a synonym, which is one of two or more scientific names used to designate the same taxonomic group.(ie. to show that there is more than one scientific name for an animal, recommending that only one specific name be used in the future.)

SYNTOPIC - Different species found sharing the same habitat within the same geographic range.

SYMPATRIC - Describes two or more taxa which have geographic ranges that overlap substantially. (Compare with ALLOPATRIC and PARAPATRIC.)

TALUS - Rocks piled up at the base of a slope or cliff.

TAXON (TAXA pl.) - A specific taxonomic category - e.g., a specific species or genus.

TIBIA - The leg of frog or toad from the heel to the knee.

TOTAL LENGTH - Length measured from snout to the end of the tail.

TROGLODYTE - A cave dweller.

TUBERCLE - A small bump or knob on the body, which is smaller than a wart.

TYMPANUM - Eardrum (enlarged on certain frogs.)

TYPE SPECIMEN - "The specific specimen on which the scientist who first names a new taxon bases the original description. One individual is designated as the holotype, the name bearer, in order to permanently attach the name to a single taxon in the event that later research reveals that the type series was composed of more than one species."

VENOMOUS - capable of injecting venom (by means of their bite, regarding snakes and lizards.)

VENT - The cloacal opening which serves for excretion and reproduction.

VENTER - The underside of an animal including the tail.

VENTRAL - Relating to the underside or belly.

VERTICAL PUPIL - An elliptical pupil with its long axis vertical.

VOCAL SAC - Loose skin on the throat of a frog or toad which acts as a resonating chamber when the animal produces a vocal sound. (Usually single, but paired in some species.)

XANTHIC - Tending toward a yellow or yellowish color.

WART - A bump or growth on the skin.

XERIC - of, pertaining to or adapted to a very dry habitat or environment (such as a desert.)