Melissa Kaplan's
Herp Care Collection
Last updated January 1, 2014

Glossary of Herp & Related Terms

A - E

Melissa Kaplan, 1995

abx	Abbreviation for antibiotics. ("He was on abx for 3 weeks.")
Acute	Of short duration; not chronic.
Aggregate	A group of individuals drawn together due to some environmental attraction (safe sleeping area, basking areas, food source, mating).
Ambient	Surrounding temperature; room air temperature
Albino	Skin lacks all dark pigments such as black, brown, orange and red; albino herps are white with some yellow. Current use in herpetoculture applies this term to all reptiles lacking one or more colors. Thus, anerythristic, amelanistic and albinos are all being referred to as albino.
Amelanistic	Skin lacks all melanin, the substance which produces brown and black coloring in the skin
Arboreal	Living in or climbing trees
Aspirate	The inhaling of fluids into the lungs
Ataxia	Loss of muscle coordination.
Aquatic	Lives in, or mostly in, water
Autotomy	The defensive release of the tail; also refers to the autoamputation of toes or by constriction of retained skin shed
Basking Light	A light or overhead heating element that produces an area of higher heat in an enclosure required by the reptile for digestion
Beak	Hard or bony mouthparts on chelonians and some tadpoles
Bifurcated	Notched in two, such as a snake's tongue. Iguana tongues have a small, deep pink notch in the tip, often only visible once the iguana has reached a year or so of age.
Brumation	Torpor induced by prolonged periods of low temperatures.
Buccal	The tissues in the mouth (roof, walls, gums).
Carbuncle	Egg tooth, used by oviparous species to cut a slit in their shell through which they will push their way out.
Carnivorous	Eats only animal flesh
Chelonian	A collective term referring to turtles and tortoises
Caudal	Towards the tail end of the body
Chronic	Of long duration
CL	Carapace length.
Cloaca	A passage used for eliminating fecal, urinary and reproductive discharges. From the Latin word meaning "sewer".
Conspecifics	Members of the same species.
Cranial	Towards the head end of the body
Crepuscular	Active at dawn and dusk
Crest	A decorative ridge of skin or spikes that may occur on the neck, back and/or tail.
Debride	The removal of dead or injured tissue
Dehydration	Reduction of water in body tissues and blood; can be fatal. Dehydration can be due to insufficient water intake, a too-arid an environment, or as a result of thermal burns.
Dewlap	The flap or fold of skin on lizards along the throat from chin to chest; some may be flared outward during territorial and aggression displays
Diurnal	Active during the day.
Dorsal	Towards the back (spinal area).
Dorsoventral	Relating to the dorsal and lateral sides of the body.
Dysecdysis	Difficult shedding skin
Dystocia	Abnormal or difficult labor or birth
Ecdysis	Process of shedding the skin.
Ectoparasite	Parasites living outside (or on) the body
Ectothermic	"Cold-blooded" - body temperature varies according to ambient external temperatures.
Ectotherm	Having to regulate internal body temperature by seeking out different external heat sources. See the related term, poikilotherm.
Endoparasite	Parasites living inside the body
Estivation	Torpor brought on by extended periods of drought or heat.
Eversion	Turning out; inside out

 

 

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