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Lizard Terminology

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When learning about lizards, you will undoubtedly come across terms you do not understand. To understand the world of herpetology, you need to know these terms, and how they apply to lizards.

 

Arboreal
Lizards that spend a large amount of time in trees are classified as arboreal. The first part of the word, arbor, is the latin word for 'tree'.

Debilitation
This terms simply refers to the weakening of the lizard. This can refer to the bones, skin, tail or anything that is getting weaker.

Dewlap
Not all lizards have dewlaps, but some do, like the Green Anole and Brown Anole. A dewlap is the inflatable or extendable flap of skin under their necks.

Diurnal
Diurnal is the opposite of nocturnal (see below). Diurnal lizards follow a human sleep pattern; active and eating during the day, while sleeping at night.

Endemic
When a lizard is said to be 'endemic', it means they are confined, restricted, or found only in a particular location.

Femoral
This term means the item in question is situated near the thigh, or femur. In lizards it most often refers to pores located at the base of the tail.

Nocturnal
When a lizard is nocturnal, it means they are active during the night. A nocturnal lizard will sleep during the daytime and hunt for food at night.

Nuchal Crest
A row of spikes starting large at the base of the head that gets smaller as it moves down to the base of the tail.

Oviparous
An animal that is oviparous, like lizards, lays eggs to their young. Little development happens inside the mother.

Parthenogenetic
Female lizards that are parthenogenetic develop eggs without the fertilization from a male.

Pineal Gland
The pineal gland in lizards regulates their internal biological clock, and helps in thermoregulation. It is located on the surface of the brain, and is connected to their Parietal Eye.

Preanal
The term preanal means 'before the anus'. With lizards it most often refers to pores located on the underside of the lizard, located immediately before the anus.

Terrestrial
Lizards that live partially or entirely on land are classified as terrestrial.

Thermoregulation
Lizards are cold-blooded and do not produce an internal temperature. They have to regulate their body temperature using their external environment, and this is referred to as thermoregulation.

 
 




 
     
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