| Asymptomatic |
showing no symptoms |
| Autohemorrage |
self-induced bleeding |
| Bacteristatic |
able to inhibit but not kill bacteria |
| Basking |
resting in an area of heat or light |
| Biennial |
every two years |
| Bifurcated |
forked |
| Binomial |
name consisting of two parts, e.g., genus name and species name |
| Biological clock |
an internal biological rhythm which is
responsible for periodic changes in an animal’s behavior |
| Boidae |
taxonomic family of snakes that includes the boas
and pythons |
| Boids |
Snakes of the family Boidae; boas and pythons |
| Breeding trials |
introducing males and females together for the
purpose of breeding |
| Brumation |
a period of prolonged cool temperature without
actual hibernation |
| Canopy |
closed screen of top most branches over the
forest floor |
| Capsule |
membrane enveloping another structure |
| Caudally |
towards the tail |
| Cervical |
pertaining to the neck |
| Cline; clinal variant |
gradual change of a variable characteristic over
a given geographic area |
| CITES |
Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species |
| Cloaca |
common chamber into which digestive, urinary and
reproductive systems empty |
| Cold-blooded |
referring to animal whose metabolism
and body temperature are dependent on environmental/outside heat sources |
| Combat |
competition between males for dominance and
breeding rights |
| Communal |
referring to a community of several individuals |
| Congenital |
present at birth |
| Conspecifics |
member of the same species |
| Constrictor |
snake which kills its prey by enveloping it
within muscular constricting coils of its body |
| Contagious |
capable of being transferred from individual to
another |
| Copulate; copulation |
to have sexual intercourse |
| Core temperature |
temperature within the body |
| Cranial |
pertaining to the skull |
| Crepuscular |
active at sunset or sunrise |
| Cryptic |
Camouflaged or concealed |
| Cyanomorph |
a color phase in which the dominant color is blue |
| Debilitate |
to make weak or feeble; enervate |
| Deciduous |
a falling out (as of teeth) at a given season or
age |
| Defecation |
the act of eliminating waste from the cloaca |
| Dehydration |
excessive loss of body fluids/water |
| Dichromatism (sexual) |
an obvious color difference between sexes of the
same species |
| Dimorphic |
morphological differences
between members of the same species (colors or pattern phases) |
| Disinfection |
killing microorganisms |
| Distention |
swelling |
| Diurnal |
active by day |
| Dominant |
trait that is expressed by a single gene (i.e.,
when the gene is contributed by only one parent) |
| Dorsal |
pertaining to the upper surface |
| Dorso-lateral |
the upper sides |
| Dorsum |
the back, or upper surface, of a snake |
| Double clutching |
producing two clutches in less than one year. Applies to pythons and boas, even though clutch
refers to eggs |
| Dysecdysis |
incomplete or improper shedding |
| Dystocia |
difficulty in delivering eggs or young |
| Ecdysis |
shedding the skin |
| Ecology |
the study of organisms in relation to their
environment |
| Ectoparasite |
external parasites, such as mites
and fleas |
| Ecosystem |
the complete system of living organisms and
non-living elements that interact together in a specific area |
| Ectothermic |
cold blooded, dependent upon external source of
heat |
| Electro ejaculation |
collection of sperm by the
use of a mild electric current |
| Electrolytes |
any substance that breaks down to form ions in
solutions then capable of conducting electrical impulses |
| Emaciated |
abnormally lean through starvation or disease |
| Embryo |
the earliest stage of a developing fertilized egg
that will eventually become offspring |
| Embryonic sac |
the membrane-like covering in which the
embryo/fetus develops |
| Endemic |
confined to/found in one geographic area (usually
small) |
| Endoparasites |
internal parasites, such as protozoans or worms |
| Entrails |
the internal organs |
| Epidermal |
pertaining to the skin |
| Equilibrate |
become equal |
| Erythritic; erythristic |
a color phase in which the dominant color is red |
| Estivate |
become dormant during the summer or dry season |
| Ethological |
relating to behavior |
| Euthanized |
killed in a humane manner |
| Evolution (parallel or convergent) |
the phenomenon of two unrelated species confined
to two distinct geographical areas developing similar or identical morphological
characteristics and habits as a result of exploiting similar or identical habitats |
| Exogenous |
coming from outside the animal |
| Exsanguinate |
bleed to death |
| Eye cap |
clear, curved scale that protects a snakes eyes |
| Facultative |
producing disease only when immunity is
suppressed/reduced |
| Family |
group of related animals ranked above a genus and below an order |
| Fast |
to eat very little or nothing |
| Fauna |
all animal life of a region, period, habitat
or environment |
| Feces |
solid waste excreted from the bowel |
| Fertility |
the ability to conceive offspring |
| Fertilization |
impregnation by male germ/sperm
cell |
| Fetal wastage |
loss of apparently viable eggs or fetus |
| Fetus |
the developing young in the later stages of
development until the time of birth |
| Fixed |
a gene is fixed when it becomes
present in all members of a population |
| Flagella; flagellae |
tail-like structure on microorganisms and sperm used for propelling the organism |
| Follicle |
the structure in the ovary which contains the
developing ovum |
| Fossorial |
adapted to burrowing |
| Founders |
the original specimens in a breeding group |
| Full spectrum light |
light closely imitating sunlight, including
ultraviolet wavelengths important to many reptiles |
| Fuzzies |
newborn rodents that have just begun to grow hair |
| Gene |
chemical unit of heredity responsible for
producing specific traits in the developing offspring |
| Generation time |
the time required for a generation of neonates to grow to sexual maturity and reproduce |
| Genotype |
the genetic composition of an animal or plant |
| Genus |
group of related species, which may be divided
into subordinate species; normally the first word in a scientific name |
| Germinal |
reproductive |
| Gestation |
period in which eggs or neonates
develop within the body of the female |
| Gradient |
range or gradual change, such as a temperature
gradient from warm to cool |
| Gravid |
pregnant with eggs or young |
| Gular (skin) |
pertaining to the throat |
| Habitat |
natural residence of an organism |
| Helminthes |
a parasitic worm inhabiting the digestive,
respiratory or circulatory system of an animal |
| Hemipenis; hemipenes |
one of the paired sexual organs of male snakes
and lizards |
| Heredity |
the genetic transmission of a particular trait
from parent to offspring |
| Herpetoculture |
hobby; business of keeping reptiles and/or
amphibians |
| Herpetology |
the study of reptiles and amphibians |
| Heterogeneity |
not having pure genes for a
trait (i.e., a snake that is heterogeneous for albinism looks normal, but carries one gene for albinism) |
| Heterozygous |
having a gene for a trait on
both chromosomes |
| Hibernation |
dormancy during winter or the cool season |
| Homozygous |
carrying pure genes for a given
trait |
| Humidity |
the mount of moisture in the environment |
| Husbandry |
management or care of living things |
| Hydration |
the absorption of water by the body |
| Imbricate (scales) |
to overlap |
| Impaction |
wedged in firmly; overloading an internal organ
such as the intestine; inability of eggs to move through the reproductive tract |
| Incandescent bulb |
bulb that emits light and heat from an electrical
current applied to a metal filament within the bulb |
| Incubation |
process through which eggs are heated until the
offspring hatch |
| Infertility |
inability to produce offspring |
| Interstitial (skin) |
between the scales |
| Insular |
found on islands |
| In utero |
in the uterus |
| Invaginated |
inverted |
| Involution |
regression and eventual disappearance |
| Jacobson’s organ |
sensory organ located in the palate where
airborne particles are transferred from the tongue for identification |
| Juvenile |
young animal |
| Karyotype |
the number and types of chromosomes for a
specific taxon |
| Keeled |
ridged; usually applies to dorsal
scales |
| Keratin |
the dead, horny, relatively inflexible skin of
which scales are made of |
| Labial |
pertaining to the scales bordering the mouth/lips |
| Lateral |
pertaining to the sides |
| Lesion |
injury/breakage of the skin |
| Leucistic |
absence of all color (white) |
| Lethargy; lethargic |
dull, lifeless, weak |
| Lithified |
Literally, turned to stone; becoming hardened |
| Lukewarm water |
warm to the touch; approximately 70-80 degrees |
| Lumen |
opening |
| Malnutrition |
state of receiving faulty or inadequate nutrition |
| Mandible |
lower jaw |
| Maxilla |
upper jaw |
| Maxillary |
pertaining to the upper jaw |
| Metabolism |
chemical and physical process involved in the
breakdown of food in to energy; development; development of stores of chemicals within the
body for use during growth and development of tissues |
| Metabolic rate |
rate in which ingested food is broken down and
converted into energy |
| Microhabitat |
small, localized areas within a habitat
where conditions may vary from those of the larger habitat |
| Mimicry |
one animal imitating the coloration or actions of
another |
| Miscarriage |
loss of offspring from the female before they are
able to independently survive |
| Mite |
tiny blood-sucking external parasite |
| Monotypic Genus |
genus possessing a single
species |
| Morbidity |
illness or disease |
| Morph |
inheritable color or pattern variation; phase |
| Morphology |
the study of the structure of animals and plants |
| Mucous membrane |
passages connecting to the outside openings in
which the lining is composed of cells that produce mucous; oral cavity, air passages,
upper digestive tract, etc. |
| Nares |
nostrils |
| Necropsy |
post mortem examination |
| Necrosis/Necrotic |
death of individual/groups of cells; specific
areas of tissue |
| Neonate; neonatal |
newborn |
| Neo-tropical |
tropical areas of the New World, e.g., the
Americas |
| New World |
North, Central and South America |
| Non-dominant (recessive) |
a trait that is expressed only if both parents
transmit the gene, i.e., when it is homozygous |
| Nocturnal |
active at night |
| Nodule |
lesion that appears as a small lump or knot |
| Nomenclature |
a system of names used in a specific branch of
knowledge, e.g., zoology |
| Nominate (race) |
the first defined of a species upon which subspecies are based |
| Occult |
hidden; not apparent, without symptoms |
| Ocellus; ocelli |
circular or eye-like markings |
| Old World |
continents of Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia |
| Ontogenetic |
pertaining to the life history of an organism |
| Oocyte |
egg that has not yet reached full development |
| Oogenisis |
the process of forming eggs in the ovary |
| Opaque/opacity |
cloudy; preparing to shed |
| Ophidian |
a snake, or relating to a snake |
| Ophiophagus |
feed primarily on snakes |
| Organogenisis |
the formation of organs in the embryo |
| Oviparous |
egg laying |
| Oviposition |
laying eggs |
| Ovoviviparous |
having non-shelled eggs which hatch internally of
the female; the term is often replaced by viviparous, which
implies the presence of a rudimentary placenta in reptiles |
| Ovulation |
release of mature ova |
| Ovum; ova |
an egg, in both pythons and boas, whether
fertilized or not, is an ovum |
| Parasite |
an organism deriving its nourishment from another |
| Parasite loading |
build-up of internal or external parasites
resulting from confinement |
| Parthenogenetic |
reproduction without males |
| Particulate |
made of particles |
| Parrelism |
development of two similar species from different
ancestors |
| Parturition |
giving birth |
| Pelvic spurs |
visible remnants of the hind legs located on
either side of the vent in Boids and a few other snakes |
| Perinatal |
occurring shortly before, during or after birth |
| Peristaltic; peristalsis |
rhythmic muscular contractions |
| Peritonitis |
infection of the abdominal cavity
(coelem in
reptiles) |
| Phase |
inheritable pattern or color variation; morph |
| Phenotype; phenotypic |
the external appearance of an organism |
| Pheromone |
a chemical, which is released by one sex that
attracts the other sex |
| Photoperiod |
period of light and dark within a 24-hour period |
| Pinkies |
newborn rodents without hair |
| Plasticity |
adaptability; variability; flexibility |
| Posterior |
at or toward the rear or end |
| Post-hoc |
occurring after an event, rather than because of
an event |
| Post ocular |
behind the eye |
| Post-partum; Post parturient |
after giving birth |
| Post-term |
after the due date, or after the term |
| Progressive |
increasing |
| Prehensile |
adapted for/capable of grasping |
| Pre-term |
before the due date, or before term |
| Prey |
animal that is caught/devoured by another for
food/energy |
| Probing |
technique used to determine the sex of snakes
involving insertion of a blunt probe into the internal sheath
containing the reproductive organs at the base of the tail |
| Procryptic |
camouflaging colors and/or patterns |
| Prolapse |
fall out |
| Propagation |
reproduction; to multiply by breeding |
| Provenance |
the history of a specimen; its origin, its
parents and owners |
| Quarantine |
period of isolation and observation for new
animals to prevent the introduction of parasites into a healthy,
established collection |
| Rafting |
breaking off of a tree, land mass or other
floating object that carries plants or animals to a different location along a river |
| Recalcitrant |
stubborn; difficult |
| Recessive |
a trait that is expressed only if the gene is transmitted from both parents, or homozygous |
| Recrudescence |
reappearance or re-growth |
| Regurgitate |
vomit partially digested stomach contents |
| Rejuvenate |
replenish; return to a normal state |
| Relict |
left behind, isolated, a survivor |
| Respire |
breath |
| Rhomb |
diamond shaped |
| Ringer’s solution |
a mixture of water and chemicals similar to a
blood serum |
| Riverine |
living on or near a riverbank or river |
| Rodent |
Mouse, rat, etc; gnawing animals commonly fed to Boids |
| Rostral (shield) |
scale at the tip of the snout |
| Rugose |
wrinkled |
| Saddle |
the blotches on the dorsum
of boa constrictors |
| Sanitize |
to make clean/healthy by washing, disinfecting,
sterilizing |
| Scute |
external bony or horny plate/ventral
scale |
| Semipermeable |
permeable to some substances but not others |
| Sequelae |
permanent damage or affects |
| Sexing |
determining the sex of an individual |
| Sheath |
tubular envelope of tissue containing a body part
or organ |
| Sperm |
male reproductive cells that fertilize an egg
during copulation |
| Spermatogenesis |
development of sperm |
| Sphagnum moss |
bog or peat moss used for moisture retention |
| Spurs |
small claws, remnants of hind limbs, present on
both sides of the cloaca in many of the boas and pythons |
| Ssp |
subspecies |
| Sterile |
no reproductive power; free from microorganisms |
| Stomatitis |
infection of the mouth |
| Stress |
biological changes that occur as a result of
adverse external influences |
| Striping |
the presence of stripes in the pattern |
| Subcaudals |
scales on the ventral
surface between the vent and the tip of the tail |
| Subcutaneous; subdermal |
beneath the skin |
| Sublingual |
below or beneath the tongue |
| Subocular |
below the eye |
| Subspecies |
a variety or subdivision of a species |
| Substrate |
material used for the bottom of a cage |
| Subterranean |
an existence beneath the ground |
| Supralabial |
one of the several scales on the upper lip |
| Supraocular |
scale(s) above the eye |
| Supraorbital |
above the eyes |
| Sympatric |
two or more populations that coexist in the same
geographic region |
| Syndrome |
a group of symptoms or abnormalities occurring
together |
| Synonymy; synonomous |
the correct and incorrect technical names which
have been collectively used by various systematists to designate a given species |
| Taxon; Taxa |
a specific species or subspecies
of a living organism |
| Taxonomy |
the science of classifying organisms |
| Temperate |
having a well defined seasonal variation in
temperature |
| Teratogenic |
causing birth defects |
| Terrestrial |
ground dwelling |
| Testosterone |
a male sex hormone |
| Thermoreceptor |
device or organ sensitive to heat or fluctuations
in temperature |
| Thermoregulate |
to control temperature |
| Topical |
refers to a particular area; substance applied to
a specific area of skin which affects the area it is applied to |
| Tractable |
tame; handleable |
| Transient |
temporary |
| Trauma |
wound; injury |
| Trinomial |
referring to a three part technical name, e.g., genus, species, subspecies |
| Tubercles |
small, knob like prominence or knob |
| Vectors |
organisms capable of transmitting parasites
or disease causing organisms |
| Vent |
anal or cloacal opening in
reptiles |
| Venter |
refers to the lower/under surface of the body |
| Ventral |
pertaining to the lower or abdominal surface |
| Vestigial |
remnant of a structure that functioned in a
previous stage of individual or species development |
| Vitellogenesis |
formation of the yolk of the egg |
| Vivarium |
container or enclosure for housing reptiles and
amphibians |
| Viviparous |
giving birth to live young |
| Xanthic |
a color morph in which the dominant color is
yellow |
| Xeric |
hot and dry conditions |
