Herpetology Terms Needed

**SurvivorSteph** · #1 11-12-2007, 01:41 AM

Hi everyone,

I need more help for my speech: herpetology terms that relate to biology, physiology, husbandry, etc.

Some examples are herpetology, foliovore, ectothermic, etc. I'd like scientific terms that those who haven't spent time researching herps would be unfamiliar with. If possible, I'd appreciate a definition and what group of animals it relates to (if it's a very specific term).

Thanks in advance... you'll all get partial credit for my "A."

**Moshpitrockchick** · #2 11-12-2007, 02:54 AM

Matt had a big list of terms and abbreviations and stuff once, no idea where it might be now though.

Diurnal- animals active during the day
Crespular - active at dawn and dusk

**Typhanie** · #3 11-12-2007, 12:13 PM

Here's a common one for now. Maybe when my brain starts working again hopefully I'll think of some more.

Arboreal - adapted to live in trees.

**Moshpitrockchick** · #4 11-12-2007, 12:55 PM

Omnivore
herbivore
carnivore
insectivore
floravore

**Merlin** · #5 11-12-2007, 02:24 PM

Fossorial (living underground)

**Rich** · #6 11-12-2007, 04:12 PM

autotomy - The spontaneous casting off of a body part, especially of an invertebrate, when injured or under attack.

poikilotherm - An organism, such as a fish or reptile, having a body temperature that varies with the temperature of its surroundings; an ectotherm.

caudal - Zoology. taillike: caudal appendages. Of, at, or near the tail or hind parts; posterior.

carapace - A hard bony or chitinous outer covering, such as the fused dorsal plates of a turtle or the portion of the exoskeleton covering the head and thorax of a crustacean.

If I can think of any more, I will add them later on.

**Desiree** · #7 11-12-2007, 05:23 PM

Glossary

Glossary of Useful Herpetological Terms

Amplexus: refers to the amphibian mating position; when the male climbs on the back of the female and clasps her around the midsection during breeding.

Attenuated: tapering to a fine point.

Anus: the external opening of the cloaca; the vent.

Anterior: toward the front; the front or head end.

Arboreal: dwelling in trees.

Bilateral: occurring on both sides of an organism.

Chevron: a shape resembling a "V" often nested within other "Vs", also described as a "herringbone" pattern.

Cirri: whisker-like appendages that project downward from the nostrils of some male plethodontid salamanders.

Cloaca: common opening of the reproductive, digestive and urinary systems that terminates at the anal opening.

Cloacal *****: "lips" around the cloaca, the opening in amphibians which contains the reproductive and excretory organs; the ***** are used to pick up sperm packets and deliver them to the female's reproductive organs.

Clutch: refers to the entirety of a female's reproductive effort in a given breeding season.

Congener: a member of the same genus, but a different species; Cope's Gray Treefrog, Hyla chrysoscelis is a congener of the Green Treefrog, Hyla cinerea (they are congeneric).

Conspecific: a member of the same species. For example, two Squirrel Treefrogs, Hyla squirella, are conspecifics. Two subspecies of the same species also considered to be conspecific.

Costal: of or relating to the ribs; costal grooves are folds in the skin of salamanders that correspond with the location of the ribs.

Cranial crests: raised edges on the top of the heads of toads.

Crepuscular: active at dusk and/or dawn.

Direct development: development that occurs completely within the egg capsule; no free-swimming larval stage; young emerge as miniature adults.

Diurnal: active in the daytime.

Dorsal: of or relating to the back, or dorsum, of an organism.

Dorsolateral: refers to the upper side of the animal.

Dorsolateral ridge: a glandular longitudinal ridge on the upper side of some frogs.

Dorsum: the upper surface.

Ecotone: the edge area between two habitat types; ecotones are usually biologically diverse.

Eft stage: a terrestrial larval stage, rather than the more typical aquatic larval stage.

Endemic: confined or restricted to a limited area.

Ephemeral: changing, not constant; often used in reference to waterbodies that hold water for part of the year and are dry at other times.

Estivation: a state of inactivity during long periods of drought or high temperatures.

Excrescence: an outgrowth of the epidermis (outer layer of skin) that may occur on the legs and/or digits of amphibians during their breeding season.

Fossorial: of or relating to burrowing or living underground

Friable: easily broken apart or burrowed through; dry, sandy soils are often friable and are home to a number of burrowing organisms.

Gills: apparatus that enables gas exchange in the water medium; may be internal or external.

Glandular: of or relating to glands, the main secretory organs of organisms; glandular skin has many glands, whereas aglandular skin has few or none.

Genus: a taxonomic classification of a group of species having similar characteristics.

Gular: refers to the throat region.

Herpetology: the study of reptiles and amphibians.

Hydric: wet; a term often used to describe a typically wet habitat, one which holds water for most or all of the year except during the driest times.

Inguinal: refers to the area between the hind legs of an organism; the groin.

Invertebrate: an organism not possessing a vertebral column, or backbone; insects and spiders are invertebrates.

Interorbital: the area behind and between the eyes; sometimes this area is colored or raised and can be referred to for identification purposes as an interorbital crest/triangle/blotch.

Keratinized: referring to tissue that is hardened with a common animal protein, keratin; nails, claws, and scales are keratinized.

Larvae/Larval: refers to the immature stage of some amphibians.

Lateral: refers to the side.

Lateral line: a line that extends down the side of amphibians and fishes; provides orientation and equilibrium for swimming.

Longitudinal lines: lines which follow the long axis of an organism; a line passing from the snout to the tail is a longitudinal line.

Mesic: a typically dry habitat that holds standing water for some time during wet weather.

Metamorph: a young amphibian that is newly transformed to the adult stage.

Metamorphosis: the transformation from one stage of an amphibian's life to another.

Middorsal: refers to the middle/center of the back.

Midventral: refers to the middle/center of the belly.

Migrate: the act of migration, or a seasonal movement from one area to another.

Morph: a form; a species which exhibits variation in color can be said to have different color morphs.

Neoteny: some amphibians are able to become reproductively mature in the larval state and never mature into the adult form; retain larval characteristics.

Nocturnal: of or relating to activity at night; a nocturnal organism is active primarily at night, and rests during the day.

Ocelli: round, eye-like spots.

Oviparous: reproducing by means of eggs that hatch.

Oviposition: the act of laying ova, or eggs.

Paratoid gland: the toxin-producing shoulder glands of toads.

Pheromones: a class or hormone, or chemical messenger, produced by an organism and detected by another member of the same species; pheromones are used for communication between conspecifics.

Posterior: toward the rear; back end.

Postfemoral: behind the femur, or thigh bone.

Postocular: of or relating to the area posterior to the eye.

Refugia: refuges; places where organisms may find cover during unfavorable conditions or during periods of inactivity.

Reticulations: markings that appear in a net-like pattern on an organism.

Scapular: of or relating to the scapula, or shoulder blade.

Secrete: to form and give off, as in the formation and release of sweat in mammals; amphibians have many skin secretions.

Species: a group of similar creatures that produce viable young when breeding.

Sperm packet: a capsule of sperm produced by some amphibians, especially salamanders, during breeding season; this packet is deposited on the ground and later picked up by a conspecific female.

Sphagnum: a water-loving moss common to bogs and swamps.

Sphagnaceous: of or relating to sphagnum moss or bogs and swamps in which sphagnum moss grows.

Subgular: below the throat; often in reference to the vocal sac in male anurans.

Subocular: below the eye.

Subspecies: the subdivision of a species. A race that may differ slightly in color, size, scalation, or other criteria. "ssp".

Supra-axillary: above the legs, generally the forelegs.

Suprascapular: refers to the area above or on the scapula, or shoulder blade.

Supraocular: above the eye.

snout to vent length: abbreviation for Snout-Vent-Length, a standard measurement of length (from the tip of the snout to the rear of the vent, or anal slit) in amphibians and reptiles.

Tadpole: a name for the aquatic larva of frogs.

Terrestrial: living on land.

Tibia: the part of the leg on frogs and toads from the knee to the heel.

Toe pads: adhesive discs at the tips of the digits of treefrogs that enable them to stick to surfaces while climbing.

Tubercles: knob-like projections.

Tympanum: the eardrum; can be used to distinguish sex in some species, such as pig frogs, where the males have larger tympanums than the females.

Undulate: to move in a snake-like or worm-like manner.

Vent: another term for the anus.

Venter: the underside; the belly.

Ventral: pertaining to the undersurface or the belly.

Ventrolateral: refers to the sides of the belly.

Vermiculate: of or relating to the shape of worms; an organism with vermiculate markings or a vermiculate pattern has worm-like markings or squiggles of pigment.

Vernal: of or relating to the spring season.

Vertebral: of or relating to the spine or the bones of the spine, the vertebrae; a "vertebral" stripe is one which runs down the middle of the back, along the spine.

Vertebrate: an organism possessing a vertebral column, or backbone; fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are vertebrates.

Vitellae: plural of vitellus, the living, viable portion of an amphibian egg. Identified as the usually white or black sphere within the jelly coat of an egg; the part of an egg which develops into an embryo.

Vocal sac: the distendable, resonating pouch of skin on the throats of some male anurans.

Xeric: dry; an adjective often used to describe upland habitats with well-drained soils.

These definitions were compiled from the following references:

Ashton, R.E., Jr., and P.S. Ashton, 1988. Handbook of Reptiles and Amphibians of Florida. Part III, the Amphibians. Miami: Windward Publishing.

Bartlett, R.D., and P.P. Bartlett, 1999. A Field Guide to Florida Reptiles and Amphibians. Houston, Texas: Gulf Publishing Company.

Conant, Roger and Joseph T. Collins, 1998. A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America, 3rd ed. Boston, Massachusetts: Houghton Mifflin.

**Desiree** · #8 11-12-2007, 05:25 PM

GLOSSARY OF HERPETOLOGICAL TERMS - BY ALPHABETICAL ORDER

A Herpetological
Alphabetical Glossary of Terms
Introduction
If you read any books or literature on reptiles, amphibians or invertebrates, sooner or later you're going to come up against words that you may only have heard in biology at school, if at all. Words like rostral, mental (nothing to do with the brain or the intelligence), distal, caudal and scute abound, particularly when telling you how to identify one species from another.

This isn't some devious plan by writers or herpetologists to preserve some sort of "in-crowd" or make themselves feel above you. Rather it is a shorthand way of passing on information. Every area of human knowledge has its own special words, and herpetology is no exception. These words are actually fairly easily understood once you've picked up the meaning. Note that some of them can be used as both nouns (eg, "The Fire Salamander is a caudate") and adjectives (eg, "the caudate circulatory system").

This list is by no means complete yet, but will be updated on a regular basis. It is not intended to be exhaustive but to help the reader understand some of the terms more commonly used on these pages, particularly species guides.

aestivate to reduce bodily activity during period of hot and/or dry/arid weather, usually in a place offering some protection from excessive heat or dryness; similar to, but not as intense as, hibernation (noun = aestivation)
anal relating to the anus
anterior frontal, at the front
anuran frog or toad
arboreal pertaining to trees: hence an arboreal species is a tree-dwelling species
axilla armpit
caudal tail, or pertaining to the tail
caudate newt or salamander
chelonian an animal that is a tortoise, turtle or terrapin; adjective relating to such an animal
cloaca in amphibians, reptiles and birds, the anal opening that serves for both excreting and reproduction. Beavers also have a cloaca rather than the mammalian arrangement of a separate anus and reproductive opening.
collar in some lizards, for instance, lacertids, a sort of fringe of scales between the head and neck
cranial head, or pertaining to the head
crepuscular active by twilight
crocodilian relating to alligator, crocodile, caiman or gharial
distal the part of something furthest from its point of attachment: thus the distal part of a toe is the opposite end to where it joins the foot
diurnal active by day
dorsal top, on top: in a four-legged creature such as a lizard, salamander or cat, it refers to the creature's back, as opposed to its underbelly
fossorial burrowing or living below ground
gular throat, pertaining to the throat
hibernate to drastically reduce bodily activity during prolonged cold weather (usually winter), usually by entering a period of dormancy in a shelter (noun = hibernation)
infra*****l scale on the lower jaw below the lip and touching it
mental 1. pertaining to thought or mind, eg mental processes: 2. pertaining to the chin, eg mental scale, mental gland (the latter in salamanders): 3. a scale on the chin (usually when related to lizards or snakes)
nocturnal active by night
opercular scale over the ear
ophid snake or serpent
orbital eye socket
osteoderm in crocodiles and some lizards, a bony plate directly attached below the skin to a scale above - a sort of armour plating
posterior rear, at the rear
postnasals one scale on either side of the upper jaw behind the rostral
riparian living by streams or rivers
rostral single scale on the end of the upper jaw
saurian lizard
saxicolous dwelling among rocks
scute "scale" or "plate" on a tortoise, turtle or terrapin shell, usually clearly outlined by sutures
supra*****l scale on the upper jaw above the lip and touching it
suture the join between two or more scales or scutes
terrestrial ground-dwelling
tubercle a sort of raised and pointed scale: in lizards, usually found only on geckos
urodele newt or salamander
ventral bottom, underneath: the opposite of dorsal. Thus, a lizard's ventral surfaces are the undersides of its limbs, its throat and its belly.

**Desiree** · #9 11-12-2007, 05:26 PM

Glossary of Common Herpetological Terms

The numbers below indicate the sex of an animal or group of animals.

2.0.0 = 2 males
0.1.0 = 1 female
0.0.5 = 5 unsexed specimens
1.1.0 = a pair of animals

Aestivation
The act of passing the summer or dry season in a dormant state

Albino
A lack of pigment in the skin

Ambient temperature
The overall temperature of the environment.

Amphibian
A group of vertebrates whose reproductive biology is closely tied to water. Includes frogs, toads, newts and salamanders

Aquaterrarium
Housing which includes an area of dry land and an expanse of water for swimming.

Aquatic
Growing, living or found in water

Arachnid
A group of invertebrates which includes spiders, scorpions, mites and ticks. Arachnids have four pairs of legs and simple eyes.

Arboreal
A creature which spends most of its time in trees or bushes.

Autonomy
The ability to drop or shed the tail as a defence mechanism.

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Carapace
The upper part of a chelonian's shell.

Carnivore
A creature (or plant) that feeds on other creatures.

Chelonia
The reptile group comprised of turtles, terrapins and tortoises.

CITES
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. This body regulates trade in wildlife.

Cloaca
The cavity into which the urinary, alimentary and genital ducts open.

Crepuscular
A creature which predominantly becomes active at dusk or before dawn.

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Dewlap
The flap of skin on the throat of some lizards such as iguanas and anoles.

Diurnal
A creature which is predominantly active during the day.

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Ectothermic
A creature that cannot regulate its own body temperature, rather it's regulated by the environment, so they often bask for heat, burrow, and hibernate.

Endemic
Indigenous to a specific region or area.

Endoskeleton
The internal structure or skeleton of an invertebrate

Estivation
Similar to hibernation. Some reptiles will bury themselves and remain dormant when the climate is too dry and/or hot for comfort.

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Fluffs
Young dead mice whose fur is just showing through their skin. Used as reptile food.

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Genus
A grouping by kind or class. Several united species makes a genus.

Gravid
A female bearing eggs or embryos. Pregnant.

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Herbivore
A creature which feeds primarily on plants.

Herpetology
The scientific study of reptiles and amphibians.

Herptile
Any reptile or amphibian.

Hibernate
To pass a cold season in sleep or seclusion.

Hoppers
Young locusts or crickets.

Humidity
The moisture content of air.

Hybrid
A crossbreed. The offspring of two different species

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Insect
An invertebrate whose body is comprised of three segments and six legs.

Insectivorous
A creature which feeds mainly on invertebrates.

Invertebrate
A creature without a backbone

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Jacobson's organ
An organ for detecting odour. The organ is located in the roof of the mouth.

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Larva
The early form or first stage of an insect during its development to adulthood.

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Melanism
Blackness, the opposite of albinism

Metamorphosis
The change from a larval state to an adult state ie: from tadpole to frog.

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Neotenic
Reaching sexual maturity while still in larval form

Neurotoxin
A poison that affects the nervous system

Nocturnal
A creature which is active at night

Nymph
The larval stage of some insects.

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Omnivore
A creature which eat both meat and vegetables.

Oviparous
Producing eggs which hatch outside the female's body

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Pinkies
Newly-born dead mice. This is the smallest size of reptile food.

Plastron
The underside of a chelonian's shell

Prehensile
Adapted for grasping or wrapping around an object. Usually refers to the tail.

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Semi-aquatic
A creature which spends part of its time on land and also lives in the water.

Shedding
The term used to describe the moulting of a snake or lizards skin

Spawn
The eggs of amphibians.

Species
One or more animals which closely resemble one another. A group of them together forms a genus.

Spiderlings
Immature spiders.

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Tadpoles
The larval form of an amphibian's life cycle.

Taxonomy
Tthe science of classifying plants and animals.

Terrapin
Fresh-water tortoise.

Terrarium
The cage or container for keeping reptiles and amphibians.

Terrestrial
A creature which predominantly lives on the land.

Territorial
A pattern of behaviour used to defend a specific area.

Toxin
A poisonous substance.

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Venom
A toxin produced by an animal.

Venomous
A creature which produces poison.

Vent
The external opening of the urinary and genital systems

Vivarium
An enclosure or container for keeping reptiles and amphibians.

**Desiree** · #10 11-12-2007, 05:27 PM

Glossary of Herp & Related Terms: A - E

There are multiple pages there.

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