Chelonian
GLOSSARY
Know what you're reading about by understanding these commonly used terms.
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A
B
Bastard: the result of a cross between two different species / subspecies.
Bastardization: a process in which species and subspecies cross-breed
Beak: The hard outer covering of the jaws
Bioindicator: a natural indicator
Biotope: habitat
Breeding: The species-specific behaviors preceding the production go offspring
Bridges: Sides of the shell connecting the carapace and the plastron
C
Calcium carbonate: Carbonic calcium salt. Central component of "calcium" feeding
Captive Bred: born in captivity
CB: captive bred
Carapace: The "top shell" of turtles and tortoises covering the back
Carapace length: measurement in a straight line from the front to the back of the top shell
Caudal: tail side
Chelonian: a turtle, tortoise or terrapin
CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endagered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora
CL: carapace length
Cloaca: common cavity at the end of the digestive tract for the release of both excretory and genital products in chelonians
Clutch: a number of eggs laid by a female at one time
Crowding Effect: effects that occur when too many animals are kept in a confined space
UNDER CONSTRUCTION PLEASE BE PATIENT
Abdomen: abdomen, abdominal region
Abdominal Scutes: the two largest scutes at the midsection of the plastron joined by a suture along the midline
Abscess: A bacterial / pus-filled cavity formed by tissue destruction
Abundance: population density, in ecology: number of individuals related to a given area
Adaptation: To "take to" or conform to an environment
Adult: mature animal that has surpassed all early stages of life
Aeorcystitis: floating-bubble inflammation, air sac inflammation
Aestivation: Summer rest, dry sleep Aggregation: accumulation of similar animals on a limited space caused by external influences
Albino: animals that are genetically non-pigmented and therefore have a very light color and red eyes
Allele: one of two or more alternative forms of a gene that arise by mutation and are found at the same place on a chromosome
Allopatric: living in different areas
Age Dimorphism: Conspicuous change in the external shape due to increasing aging of the animal
Ameba: a single-celled animal that catches food and moves about by extending fingerlike projections of protoplasm. Amoebas are either free-living in damp environments or parasitic.
Amnion: embryonic envelope
Amniotic Cavern: the amnion-encased cavity in which the embryo of an egg is located
Amphibious: life forms suited for both water and land
Anal Scutes: two scutes that join via a suture at the end of the plastron where the tail protrudes
Animal hoarding: Over-collection of animals, kept in inadequate settings, from collective addiction and / or uncontrolled offspring
Annidation: The adaptation of the various genotypes to different ecological niches
Anomaly: Irregularity (not abnormality!) In the physical appearance of an animal
Anorexia: food denial
Anterior: closer to the front
Anthropogenic: created or strongly influenced by humans
Antibiotic: Medical drug for bacterial diseases
Antifungal: an antimycotic medication, pharmaceutical fungicide or fungistatic used to treat and prevent mycoses
Annuli: Pattern of growth rings on the scutes of tortoises like that of trees
Aragonite: Crystalline expression of calcium carbonate (e.g., in snail shells, mussel shells)
Archelosauria: a clade proposed in 2014 for the grouping of turtles and archosaurs (birds and crocodilians) and their fossil relatives.
Areal: area, terrain
Areole: The center of of each scute where growth lines begin from
Arid: dry landscape with low precipitation
Assimilation: adaptation - The change of behavior in order to adapt to changing conditions in the habitat
Atavism: Developmental regression , an evolutionary throwback