TSHS

Herp Related Dictionary

Aberrant – Not of normal appearance

AD – Abbreviation adult or fully mature specimen

Aestivation – Period of warm weather inactivity, often triggered by excessive heat or drought

Albino – Deficient in dark pigment

Allele – Either one of the two paired genes causing an inherited color or pattern

Ambient temperature- Temperature of the surrounding environment

Amelanistic – Lacking black pigment

Amphibian – A cold-blooded, smooth-skinned vertebrate of the class Amphibia, such as a frog or salamander, that characteristically hatches as an aquatic larva with gills. The larva then transforms into an adult having air-breathing lungs.

Amplexus – Breeding grasp

Anerythristic – Lacking red pigment

Antivenom - Drug made from venom, used to treat cases of envemonation 

Anus – Vent, external opening of the cloaca

Axanthis – Deficient in yellow pigment

Boid – Snake from the Boa or Python family

Captive dwarfing – The inherent dwarfing of a species breed in captivity. Caused by line in breeding and smaller males being allowed to breed in captivity, that would not otherwise in the wild.  

Carapace – Upper shell of turtle or tortoise

Carnivore – Flesh-eating or predatory animal.

CB – Abbreviation for captive born. Born in captivity but not necessarily captive breed

CCB – Abbreviation captive breed and born. Born in captivity to captive parents

Chromatophore – Pigment cell

Cloaca – Common chamber into which digestive, urinary and reproductive systems empty and that itself opens exteriorly through the vent or anus.

Codominant – Having two equally dominate characteristics

Cold blooded – See ectothermic

Colubridae – Largest recognized snake grouping, includes most snakes not recognized as boids or venomous

Constricting – Wrapping tightly in coils and squeezing

CR- Abbreviation for captive raised. Wild caught as juvenile and raised in captivity.

Desposition –  Laying of eggs

Desposition site – Spot chosen by female to lay eggs

Dichromatism – Differing base colors within the same species

Dimorphism – Differing characteristics within the same species (size or color) within the same species; may be gender linked

Diurnal – Active in the day time

Dominant – 1. Allele that causes a specific characteristic 2. Apex species

Dorsum – Upper surface

Ectothermic – Outside forces controlling body temperature

Elipid - One of two types of venomous snakes. Distinguished from vipers by the fangs. Elipids have a grove running down the bottom of the fang which the venom flows down.  

Embryogenesis – The ongoing development of an embryo

Endothermic – Warm blooded, animals that have the ability to stabilize their body temperature

Erythristic – Having excessive red pigment

Erythrophore – Red chromatophore

Fossorial – Burrowing species

Gravid – Carrying developing young or eggs

Greater – Of similar species, the larger

Glottis – Opening of the windpipe

Gut loaded – Feeding prey offering vitamins prior to offering them for food

Heliothermic – Basking in the sun to thermoregulate body temperature

Hemipenes – Dual copulatory organs of male lizards and snakes

Hemipenis – Singular form of hemipenes

Hemotoxic - Toxins (venom) that effects and travels via the blood 

Herbivore – An animal that feeds chiefly on plants

Herp – Any reptile or amphibian

Herpetoculture – Captive breeding of reptiles and amphibians

Herpetologist – One who studies reptiles and amphibians

Herpetology - Branch of zoology that deals with reptiles and amphibians

Heterozygous – Having recessive traits because of gene pairs

Hibernacula – Cool weather dens used for hibernation

Hibernation – Period of dormancy brought on by cool weather

Homozygous – Having dominate traits because of gene pairs

Hot – Slang, venomous

Hybrid – Resulting offspring from the breeding of two separate species or sub-species

Hydrate – restore body moisture by drinking or absorption

Hydration chamber – Enclosed high humidity chamber used to help desiccated frogs rehydrate

Hypomelanistic – Being deficient in melanin

Hypopigmentation – Having reduced pigmentation

Insectivore – Animal that feeds mainly on insects

Intergrade – Offspring resulting from the breeding of two contiguous species  

LD 50 - (Lethal Dose - 50) means the minimum amount of venom sufficient  to kill 50% of a subject group, usually mice or rats. The standard test used to determine venom toxicity.

Lesser – Of similar species, the smaller

Leucistic – Complete absents of dark pigments

Line breeding – Selectively breeding for a specific trait

Juvenile – Young or immature specimen

JV – Abbreviation for juvenile

Keel – Ridge along the center of a scale

Melanistic – Darker then normal in color due to increased amounts of melanin

Melanophore – Melanin producing chromatophore

Morph – Visible characteristic

Mutation- Visibly different characteristic

Nerotoxic - Toxins (venom) that effects and travels via the nervous system

New World - The Western Hemisphere. Almost always in reference to the Americas. 

Nocturnal – Active at night

Old World - The Eastern Hemisphere. The term is often used to refer specifically to Europe.

Omnivore – An animal that feeds on both animal and vegetable substances

Ontogenetic – Age related color changes

Ornate - Rich in decorative detail

Oviparous – Reproducing by means of eggs that that after laying

Phenotype – Identifying external characteristics

Photoperiod – The daily/seasonal variable length of the hours of daylight

Piebald – Having abnormal areas of contrasting pigment

Plastron – Bottom shell of turtle or tortoise

Polymorphic – Having more than a single morph

Prehensile – Adapted for seizing, grasping, or holding

Ranid – True frog

Recessive – Having non-identical alleles capable of causing a specific trait only when paired

Reptile – Any of various cold-blooded, usually egg-laying vertebrates of the class Reptilia, such as a snake, lizard, crocodile, turtle, or dinosaur, having an external covering of scales or horny plates and breathing by means of lungs.

Reticulated – To mark with lines resembling a network

Rostral – Scale in the tip of the snout

Sympatric – Occurring together

Synthesize – Having the ability to produce pigments and enzymes

Taxonomy – Science of classification of plants and animals

Terrarium – small enclosure or closed container in which selected living plants and sometimes small land animals are kept and observed

Terrestrial – Ground dwelling

Thermoregulate – To regulate body temperature by choosing and warmer or colder environment

Thigmothermic – Thermoregulating by contact with a pre-heated surface such as a boulder

Tympanum – External eardrum

Tyrosinase – Enzyme allowing synthesis of melanin

Tyosinase negative – lacking tyosinase

Tyosinase positive – having tyosinase yet incapable of synthesizing melanin

Venofile – Herpetologist interested in venomous reptiles 

Venom – Specifically developed enzyme in certain animals, used for killing prey, defense, and digestion.

Vemoniod - A venomous species of reptiles that has had the venom glands surgically removed. 

Venomous – Animal with venom 

Vent – Another name for the anus, or external opening of the cloaca

Venter – Underside of an animal

Ventral – Describing the underside

Ventrolateral – Sides of an animals underside

Viper - One of two types of venomous snakes. Distinguished from  elipids by the fangs. Viper's fangs are hollow and venom flows through the inside of the fang. 

Xanthic – Yellow(ish)

Xanthophore – Pigment cell allowing the synthesizing of red, yellow, or intermediate pigments

TSHS