the above pic can also be clicked on, its a 1280x960 wallpaper for your desktop, just right click and set as desktop backgroundA post a little different than the norm, we give you a glossary of common terms used in the reptile industry to help our readers better understand the articles posted.
- Albino – Genetic mutation that causes the lack color pigment usually seen with red eyes
- Aquatic – Spending most of the time in fresh water
- Basking Spot – Area of the enclosure kept warmer with the use of a heating element to allow the animal to thermo-regulate
- Bridge – Area of the shell on turtles and tortoises that connects the carapace and plastron
- Brumation – Period of cooling down a reptile to simulate natural seasons, helps to stimulate breeding
- C. B. – Abbreviation for Captive Bred
- Captive Bred – Animal bred in captivity and not caught from the wild, generally healthier and better adjusted to live in captivity, abbreviated C. B.
- Carapace – Dorsal portion of the shell on a turtle or tortoise
- Carnivore – Feeding exclusively on meat
- Cold Blooded – Body temperature and metabolism is controlled by the external temperature, see also Exothermic
- Crepuscular – Active primarily during dawn and dusk hours of the day
- Dechlorinate – To remove the chlorine from ordinary tap water by letting it sit out for 24-hours to allow the chlorine to dissipate naturally or by using commercially available products
- Diurnal – Active primarily during the day
- Dorsal – Referring to the back or top of an animal, portion with the backbone, opposite side of ventral
- Endothermic – Body temperature and metabolism controlled internally and not dependent upon the external temperature, see also warm blooded
- Exothermic – Body temperature and metabolism is controlled by the external temperature, see also Cold Blooded
- Gut Loading – Process of feeding prey items good quality food to ensure proper nutrition for the animal being fed the prey items
- Heat Rock – Commercially available product that consists of a heating element surrounded by rock; notoriously unreliable and often causes burns to the animals it is used with; see also Hot Rock
- Herbivore – Feeding exclusively on plant material
- Herpetoculture – The science of keeping herpetofauna in captivity
- Herpetofauna – Referring to both reptiles and amphibians
- Herpetology – Study of reptiles and amphibians
- Herptile – Inaccurate and incorrect slang term for reptiles and amphibians, see herpetofauna
- Hibernation – Often used inaccurately with regards to herpetofauna, see Brumation
- Hopper – Juvenile mouse that is just starting to move around
- Hot Rock – Commercially available product that consists of a heating element surrounded by rock; notoriously unreliable and often causes burns to the animals it is used with; see also Heat Rock
- Insectivore – Specialized carnivore that feeds exclusively on insects
- ISIS – International Species Information System, tracks taxonomic and breeding information of all species, used extensively in zoos and aquariums
- Leucistic – Genetic mutation that causes the lack of dark colored pigment to be present, usually seen with blue eyes
- Marine – Spending time mostly in salt water (i.e. ocean) surroundings
- Melonistic – Genetic mutation that cause more dark pigment than normal to be present
- Nocturnal – Active primarily during night
- Omnivore – Feeding on both meat and plant material
- Photoperiod – Period of light and dark to simulate the natural day and night cycle, important for the health and well being of animals in captivity
- Pinhead – Small sized crickets
- Pinky – Baby new born mouse, is hairless and pink in color
- Plastron – Ventral portion of the shell on turtles and tortoises
- Salmonella – Bacteria that causes Salmonellosis, commonly found in poorly prepared poultry and occasionally found on herpetofauna (usually thought of with turtles)
- Salmonellosis – Bacterial infection caused by Salmonella that causes diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps for 4 to 7 days
- Semi-Aquatic – Spending time on both land and fresh water
- Substrate – The material used as a floor or bedding for your animal
- Taxonomy – The organization of all organisms into categories to better describe them
- Temperature Gradient – Temperature range provided for herpetofauna to thermoregulate
- Terrestrial – Spending time primarily on the land only
- Thermocouple – Used to measure temperatures accurately, especially one consisting of two dissimilar metals
- Thermoregulate – Process in which the animal will move to warmer or cooler places to regulate its body temperature and metabolism
- UV – Ultraviolet light, usually not visible to the naked eye and described as three different types
- UVA – Visible to the naked eye, responsible for inducing normal behavior such as feeding and mating; provides for mental well-being
- UVB – Not visible to the naked eye, gives humans sun tans, allows for synthesis of vitamin D3 which allows reptiles to process calcium to prevent bone disease
- UVC – Not visible to the naked eye, used in sterilizers and kills bacteria, extremely dangerous and can cause damage to DNA
- Ventral – Referring to the bottom or belly area of an animal, opposite of dorsal
- W. C. – Abbreviation for Wild Caught
- Warm Blooded – Body temperature and metabolism controlled internally and not dependent upon the external temperature, sell also endothermic
- Wild Caught – Caught or trapped in the wild, generally carriers of parasites and more prone to sickness due to stress of capture and shipping, abbreviated W. C.
