Glossary

Advertisement call

—Sound produced by male anurans during the mating season to attract females.

Agonistic behavior

—Fighting behavior between members of the same species.

Amplexus

—The copulatory embrace of frogs and toads, during which the male fertilizes the eggs that are released by the female.

Aposematic

—The conspicuously recognizable markings of an animal, such as in poison frogs, that serve to warn off potential predators. Also called warning coloring.

Arciferal

—A condition in which the two halves of the pectoral (shoulder) girdle are not fused ventrally.

Axillary

—Of, relating to, or located near the axilla; the cavity beneath the junction of a forelimb and the body.

Barbels

—Whisker-like appendages found on both sides of the mouth.

Basal

—Arising from the base of a stem; of or relating to, or being essential for, maintaining the fundamental vital activities of an organism.

Cartilaginous

—Consisting of cartilage, a tough, elastic skeletal tissue consisting mostly of collagen fibers.

Chromosome

—Thread-like structure consisting mostly of genetic material (DNA) in the nucleus of cells.

Clade

—An evolutionary lineage of organisms that includes the most recent common ancestor of all those organisms and all the descendants of that common ancestor.

Cladograms

—Graphic, tree-like representations that show the evolutionary relationships of organisms.

Clavicle

—Paired bony elements of the pectoral girdle.

Cloaca

—The common chamber into which the urinary, digestive, and reproductive systems discharge their contents, and which opens to the exterior.

Cloud forest

—Moist forest at mid- to high elevations on mountains in the tropics.

Clutch

—Eggs deposited by a single female in one breeding.

Cocoon

—A tough protective covering.

Conspecific

—Of or belonging to the same species.

Continuous breeder

—An animal that may breed throughout the year.

Coracoid

—Paired bony elements of the pectoral girdle.

Courtship

—Behavioral interactions between males and females that precede and accompany mating.

Cranial

—Of or pertaining to the cranium (skull).

Crest

—An elevated ridge-like structure.

Crypsis

—Involves resemblance or imitation of some feature (background or object) in an organism's environment, including its form, color, and pattern; camouflage. It may also be referred to as cryptic coloration.

Cutaneous

—Of or pertaining to the skin.

Dermis

—The layer of skin immediately below the epidermis.

Desiccation

—The process of drying out.

Diapause

—A period of physiologically enforced dormancy between periods of activity.

Dimorphism

—The existence of two different forms (color, size, sex) of a species in the same population.

Direct development

—Transition from the egg to the adult form without passing through a free-living larval stage.

Diurnal

—Active by day.

Dorsal

—Pertaining to the back or upper surface or one of its parts.

Dorsolateral

—Pertaining to the interface of the back and the sides.

Ectotherm

—An animal whose body temperature is controlled by the environment.

Eft

—The juvenile, terrestrial phase of newts.

Electrophoretic analysis

—Running electric currents through tissues in a chemical medium or gel to cause various components to separate. Used in genetic analysis.

Embryo

—The young before hatching from the egg.

Epicoracoid

—Paired cartilaginous elements of the pectoral girdle.

Epidermis

—The outermost layer of skin.

Estivation

—A state of dormancy or torpor during prolonged hot or dry periods.

Exostosis

—A proliferation of bone usually resulting in sculpturing on the surface of a bone.

Explosive breeder

—A species in which the breeding season is very short, usually at the time of the first heavy rains of the rainy season.

External fertilization

—The joining of sperm and eggs (fertilization) outside of the female's body.

Femoral gland

—A gland on the thigh.

Fertilization

—The penetration of an egg by sperm.

Fetus

—The unborn young of a viviparous animal.

Firmisternal

—A condition in which the two halves of the pectoral (shoulder) girdle are fused ventrally.

Fossorial

—Living underground.

Frontoparietal

—Paired bones forming most of the roof of the skull.

Gill

—A respiratory structure in aquatic animals through which gas exchange occurs.

Girdle

—The group of connected bones that provide support for a pair of limbs.

Gland

—An organ that produces chemical compounds (secretions).

Gravid

—Female carrying young or eggs.

Hatchling

—A young animal that has just emerged from an egg.

Heterospecific

—Members of a different species.

Home range

—The area in which an individual lives, except for migrations.

Hybrid

—Individual resulting from mating of parents that belong to different species.

Hyoid

—The group of cartilages and bones in the throat.

Ilium (pl. ilia)

—Dorsal or anterior part of the pelvic (hip) girdle.

Inguinal

—Pertaining to the groin.

Internal fertilization

—Penetration of eggs by sperm inside the female's body.

Intromittent organ

—A male copulatory organ.

Juvenile

—Young, not sexually mature.

Keratinous

—Epidermal structures composed of tough, fibrous protein (e.g., claws).

Labial tooth-row formula

—The LTRF is written as a fraction designating the location and number of labial tooth rows. The most common LTRF is 2/3. The numerator indicates the number of rows on A, the anterior labium, while the denominator indicates the number of rows on P, the posterior labium. A LTRF only tells how many tooth rows there are on each labium and which ones have medial gaps; the lengths or positions of the rows are not designated.

Larva

—The early stage of development after hatchling and before metamorphosis.

Larynx

—A sound-producing structure at the anterior end of the trachea (windpipe) in the throat, containing the vocal cords.

Lateral line organ

—A sense organ embedded in the skin that responds to water-borne vibrations.

Live-bearing

—Giving birth to young that have developed beyond the egg stage.

Mandible

—The skeletal elements (bones) that make up the lower jaw.

Maxillary

—The skeletal elements (bones) that make up most of the upper jaw.

Metamorphosis

—The transformation from one stage to another in the life cycle (e.g., from larva to adult).

Monophyly

—The monophyletic taxon, also called a clade, includes the most recent common ancestor of all those organisms and all the descendants of that common ancestor.

Nares

—The paired openings of the nasal capsule.

Nasal

—Paired bones forming the anterior roof of the skull.

Newt

—Salamanders of the genera Notophthalmus, Taricha, and Triturus that are characteristically aquatic.

Nocturnal

—Active at night.

Ovary

—The female reproductive organ that produces eggs, or ova.

Oviduct

—The duct in females through which eggs pass from the ovary to the cloaca.

Oviparous

—Producing eggs that develop and hatch outside the mother's body.

Ovoviviparous

—Producing eggs that develop within the mother's body and hatch within or immediately after extrusion from the parent.

Ovum (pl. ova)

—The female gamete, an egg.

Paedomorphic

—Retention of juvenile (or larval) characters in the adult stage.

Papilla

—A small, nipple-like projection.

Parotoid gland

—One of a pair of large glands situated behind the eye.

Pectoral girdle

—The group of bones that support the forelimbs.

Pelvic girdle

—The group of bones that support the hind limbs.

Penultimate

—Next to the last.

Phalange

—One of the digits in the hand or foot.

Phylogenetic

—Pertaining to evolutionary history.

Premaxillary

—Paired bones forming the anterior margin of the upper jaw.

Scansorial

—Adapted to or specialized for climbing.

Seasonal breeder

—A species that breeds at a specific time of the year.

Sexual dimorphism

—Difference of physical form (shape, size, or coloration) between the sexes; any consistent difference between males and females beyond the basic functional portions of the sex organs.

Spermatheca

—Organ in the female that receives and stores sperm from the male pending fertilization of the eggs.

Spermatogenesis

—Synonymous to spermiogenesis, the initial stage of sperm formation.

Spermatophore

—A gelatinous structure capped with sperm produced by most male salamanders.

Spiracle

—A slit that opens the throat to the outside.

Sternum

—A median element in the pectoral girdle.

Tubercle

—A small knob-like projection.

Tympanic annulus

—A cartilaginous ring surrounding the tympanum.

Tympanum

—The membranous eardrum.

Unken reflex

—A defensive posture in which the body is arched and the head and tail are lifted upward.

Ventral

—Pertaining to the lower surfaces of the body or one of its parts.

Viviparous

—Giving birth to live young that develop within and are nourished by the mother.