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GLOSSARY
OF CHELONIAN TERMINOLOGY
- ADAPTION - Morphological or
behavioral modifications evolved over a period in response to environment or mode of
life.
- AESTIVATE - Summer or dry
season dormancy. Not to be confused
with hibernation.
- ALLANTOIS -
Sac-like growth
surrounding an embryo.
Assists with respiration and waste management.
- AMNION - A fluid filed sac enclosing
an embryo.
- ANAL - Pertaining to the anal region; e.g.,
the anal suture of the plastron.
- ANOXIA - Lack of oxygen. Suffocation.
- ANTERIOR - Towards the front or
head.
- AQUATIC - Living in water.
- AREOLA - The central region
of the scute. May be marked or raised.
- BASKING - Behavior designed
to gain maximum absorption of heat from the sun. Often
involves positioning
on slopes.
- BEAK - The horny outer covering of
the jaws.
- BIMODALITY -
The term used to describe non-simultaneous hatching.
- BIOCLIMATIC RANGE - The forces of
temperature and humidity, among other factors, which influence
distribution of
a species.
- BODY TEMPERATURE - The interior rather than exterior
surface temperature of the body. Usually
measured per
cloaca.
- CARAPACE -
The hard
bony upper shell of the tortoise or turtle.
- CARNIVORE -
An animal which eats
the flesh of other animals. Not common in tortoises but
frequent in freshwater
turtles. e.g., Snapping
turtles.
- CAUDAL - Pertaining to the tail
region.
- CHARACTER -
Any key
feature used
to diagnose
species or
sex.
- CHELONIAN -
A shield reptile. Tortoises, turtles and terrapins.
- CLINE -
A gradual morphological
variation within a species from one part of its range to another.
- CLOACA - The chamber and vent in the
tail.
- CLUTCH - The collective term
for all the eggs laid by a female at one
time.
- CLUTCH DENSITY - The number of eggs in a single clutch.
- CONTIGUOUS - A sequential or unbroken series or distribution.
- COPROPHAGOUS - Dung or faeces
eating.
- COSTAL -
The series of plates
located at the side
and middle of a chelonians shell between
the vertebrals and marginals.
- CRANIAL - Pertaining to the skull.
- CUTANEOUS - Of or pertaining to the
skin.
- DIMORPHISM - Two distinct forms
within a species. Sexual dimorphism is
the existence of
morphological divergence between male and female.
- DIURNAL - Active during the day.
- DORSAL - Pertaining to the upper
part.
- DYSTOCIA - See egg-binding.
- ESD - Acronym for Environmental Sex
Determination.
- ECOSYSTEM - The natural symmetry between organisms and their
environment.
- ECTOPARASITE -
A parasite
that lives outside the body or on its surface.
- ECTOTHERM - An organism which mainly
relies upon environmental sources to
sustain its body temperature.
- EGG BINDING - A condition
which occurs in female tortoises involving
difficulty in laying eggs (Dystocia).
- EGG CARUNCLE - A small
projection on the beak of hatchlings used for the purposes of piercing the egg.
- EGG TOOTH - See egg caruncle.
- ENDEMIC -
Zoogeographically restricted species, race or form.
- ENDOPARASITE - An internal parasite,
e.g., a 'worm'.
- ENDOTHERM - An animal which
self-generates heat by metabolic action, e. g., a
mammal.
- ESTIVATE - See aestivate.
- EXOTHERM - See ectotherm.
- FSL - Acronym for Full Spectrum Lighting, 'artificial sunlight'.
- FAMILY -
The taxonomic category below Order and above Genus.
- FAUNA - The animal life of a
locality.
- FENESTRATED - Pierced. With
gaps or holes.
- FORM - A population or 'variety';
not necessarily deserving of separate systematic recognition
but also sometimes denoting a true species or subspecies.
- GENETIC - Pertaining to genes and
inheritance.
- GENUS -
The taxonomic category below Family and above Species.
Contains one or more species.
- GESTATION - In tortoises, the
period between fertilization of an egg
and laying.
- GREGARIOUS - Tending to congregate
in groups.
- GULAR - Pertaining to the throat
region; in tortoises usually refers to the plastral scutes below the
head.
- GUT - The alimentary canal,
especially the intestine.
- HABITAT - The environment in which
an animal lives.
- HATCHLING - The young animal just
after it leaves the egg; any juvenile phase tortoise to about 6 months.
- HEPATIC - Pertaining to the liver.
- HERBIVORE - An animal which eats
plants rather than other animals. A
vegetarian.
- HERPETOLOGY -
The science
and study of
reptiles and
amphibians.
- HIBERNATION - Winter dormancy
characterised by specific biological and
biochemical changes
including lowered blood pressure and respiration rate.
- HINGE - A mobile suture; as seen in
Box Turtles or Hinge-back tortoises which allows part of the shell to
be
closed.
- HOMOGENOUS -
A relatively intact
distribution of genetic material within a
population. Little
diversity from one locality to another within the range.
- HYBRID - An individual resulting
from a mating of parents which are not genetically
identical, e.g., those that belong to different species.
- INCUBATION - The developmental phase
of an egg prior to hatching which
requires warmth.
- INFRARED -
Invisible heat rays
beyond the visible light spectrum.
- INTERGRADE - A hybrid form.
- INTRODUCED - A species not native to
a region but which now occur there as a result of artificial
transport
or escapes from captivity etc.
- INTROFLEXED - Turned inwards.
- JUVENILE - Not sexually mature.
- KEEL - A ridge sometimes seen in the
vertebral region of the carapace.
- KERATIN - A tough fibrous protein
present in epidermal structures such as
carapace shields, beaks and claws.
- KINESIS -
Mobile. As in a box turtle or Hinge-back shell.
- LATERAL - Pertaining to the side.
- MARGINAL -
The series
of smaller scutes at the very edge of the carapace. Usually
11 on each side in most species.
- MELANISTIC - Darker or blacker than
normal.
- MESIC - An intermediate humidity
habitat.
- METABOLIC RATE
- The
rate of energy expenditure by an organism.
- METABOLISM -
The chemical or energy
changes which occur within an animal
necessary to
sustain life.
- MICROCLIMATE -
The climate immediately surrounding an
animal. May
differ profoundly from the general climate
in the case of burrowing
tortoises.
- MORPHOLOGY - Pertaining to shape and
form.
- MORPHOMETRY - The technique
of measuring and
comparing shapes,
e.g., the shape of a turtle shell.
- MYELITIS - Tissue destruction due to
infection.
- NARES - Paired openings of the nasal
cavity.
- NASAL - Pertaining to the nose or
nares.
- NOCTURNAL - Active at night.
- NUCHAL - A small scute at
the front of the carapace, above the head.
- OEDEMA - Fluid retention. Can
signify renal disease or bruising. Any
swelling.
- OMNIVORE -
An animal which feeds on
both plant and animal tissue.
- OPTIC - Pertaining to the eyes.
- OSTEOLOGICAL - Pertaining to the bones and their structure.
- OVIPOSITION - The act of egg laying.
- P.O. - Preferred Optimum.
- PARENTERAL - Via injection.
- PHENETIC -
Apparent similarity on
the basis of external
characters.
- PHYLOGENY - Pertaining to
evolutionary relationships.
- PLASTRON - The lower surface of the
chelonian shell.
- POIKILOTHERM - See ectotherm.
- POPULATION -
A group
of the same
species living in a
discreet geographical area.
- POSTERIOR - The rear or back part.
- RACE - A population of a species
distinguishable from the rest of that
species. A subspecies.
- RADIAL - Like the spokes of a wheel.
- RENAL - Pertaining to the kidneys.
- SAVANNAH -
A habitat
of open plains and low grassy vegetation.
SCL - Acronym for
Straight Carapace Length (not
over the
curve).
- SCUTE - The horny plates of a
chelonian shell.
- SERRATED - Jagged or saw-like.
- SUBSPECIES -
A subdivision of a
single species given a
unique name which is expressed
after the generic and species name. See race.
- SUBSTRATE -
In herpetology, usually refers to vivarium flooring
material.
- SUPRA - Pertaining to above.
- SUPRACAUDAL - The scute above the
tail.
- SUTURES
- The
'seams' between two boney or horny plates.
- SYMPATRIC - Living in the same
geographical area.
- SYNONYM -
One of several different
names applied to an identical
taxonomic category only one of which is
valid. The invalid names only are called synonyms. The valid name is selected by priority.
- SYSTEMIC - Whole body
treatment. Not topical.
Usually by injection.
- TAXON -
A taxonomic
category, e.g a Family, Genus or Species.
- TAXONOMY - The science of
classification.
- TEMPERATE - Latitudes where summer
and winter seasons are experienced.
- TERRAPIN - Fresh water aquatic chelonians.
- TERRESTRIAL - Living on the
ground. Not Aquatic.
- TOPICALLY - Pertaining to surface
application.
- TORTOISE - Terrestrial chelonians.
- TROPICAL -
Pertaining to equatorial
regions where winter and summer seasons
are not experienced.
- TUBERCLE - The 'spur' on tortoises’
thighs.
- TURTLE -
Semi-terrestrial chelonians and marine chelonians.
Sometimes applied interchangeably with 'tortoise'.
- TYMPANITIC - Pertaining to the ear.
- TYPE - The original specimen upon which a species is erected.
- TYPE LOCALITY - The place
where the Type was collected or originated.
- VENTRAL - Pertaining to the
underside.
- VERTEBRAL - Pertaining to the spinal
region. The central row of scutes along
the top of the carapace.
- VIVARIUM -
An indoor
artificial environment containing animals.
©
Chelonian Educational Resources Ltd. 1990-2002
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