| adult- |
fully grown or having reached sexual maturity. |
| aestivation- |
a period of inactivity caused by extreme heat or drought. |
| akinesis- |
a state in which there is little or no movement. |
| ambient temperature- |
the temperature of the surroundings or environment. |
| arboreal- |
living in trees. |
| arid- |
a dry or desert-like climate. |
| basking- |
positioning the body in direct sunlight for warmth. |
| brumation- |
a reptile equivalent to hibernation. |
| caudal- |
having to do with the tail. |
| casque- |
the upward projection at the back of chameleon's head. |
| chromatophore- |
a skin cell that contains pigment. |
| cloaca- |
the common chamber into which digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems empty and which opens to the exterior. |
| copulation- |
engaging in coitus or sexual intercourse. |
| diapause- |
temporary slowing down of development, related to coolness or dryness. |
| diurnal- |
active in the daytime. |
| dorsal- |
pertaining to the back or upper surface. |
| ectothermic- |
dependent on heat sources to regulate body temperature. |
| egg tooth- |
the structure at the tip of a hatchling chameleon's nose used in cutting the egg. |
| endemic- |
from a specific region. |
| flanks- |
lower side. |
| genus- |
taxonomic classification of a group of species having similar characteristics. |
| gravid- |
a state in which a female is carrying eggs or embryos. |
| gular- |
related to the chin. |
| hemipenis- |
one of the dual copulatory organs of male lizards and snakes. |
| herpetofauna- |
all reptiles and amphibians of a certain area. |
| herpetology- |
a section of zoology dealing with reptiles and amphibians. |
| heterogenous- |
of different sizes, colors, and uniformity. |
| hybrid- |
offspring that result from breeding two different species. |
| incubating- |
keeping eggs so that they are in conditions that are favorable to hatching. |
| jacobson's organ- |
a pair of grooves from the nasal cavity to the mouth in snakes and lizards through which molecules are collected with the tongue and sensed by this organ. |
| juvenile- |
young and not sexually mature. |
| lateral- |
at or on the sides. |
| montane- |
a region that is moist and cool and at high altitudes. |
| occipital- |
related to the back of the head. |
| oviparous- |
egg laying. |
| ovoviviparous- |
form of reproduction through which the female retains eggs withing her body until they hatch. |
| parietal- |
related to the bones formed at the skull. |
| parthenogenesis- |
a form of asexual reproduction through which the egg develops without being fertilized. |
| pigment- |
the matter that determines color in plants in animals. |
| prehensile- |
adapted for grasping and wrapping around. |
| receptive- |
responding to stimuli, or responsive to sexual behavior. |
| rostral- |
relating to the part of the head from the tip of the mouth to the nostrils. |
| sexual dimorphism- |
visually noticeable differences between males and females of a species. |
| shedding- |
losing the old epidermis or skin and replacing it with a new layer. |
| taxonomy- |
process of classifying plants and animals. |
| temporal- |
relating to the area of the skull behind the eye. |
| terrestrial- |
live on land or ground. |
| thermoregulation- |
controlling the body temperature. |
| ventral- |
relating to the lower surface of the body. |
| yolk sac- |
large sac containing nutrients which is present in embryos of reptiles and amphibians. |
| zygodactylous- |
y-shaped, pincer like feet. |
