| aardvark |
an unusual, nocturnal mammal, specialising in ant eating. |
|
| abdomen |
rear body segment of an insect, or the posterior section of any other animal |
|
| abiotic factors |
non-living components of an ecosystem e.g. soil, water, sunlight |
|
| abomasum |
the fourth compartment of a ruminant's stomach. It is the animals true stomach, it is glandular and produces enzymes
|
|
| abscission |
shedding leaves |
|
| abyssal plain |
Flat areas of the ocean floor |
|
| acacia |
typical thorn trees, generally with a flattened crown |
|
| acari |
an Order in Class Arachnida, ticks and mites See Module # 2 |
|
| acaricide |
any chemical applied to animals specifically for the removal of ticks |
|
| acclimation |
morphological and or physiological changes that an animal or plant undergoes in response to the physical changes of its habitat |
|
| acclimatisation |
changes which occur in the physical conditions of an animal after being exposed to different natural environments |
|
| acheulian period |
Division of the Stone Age,
extending from about 1.65 million to about
200 000 years ago |
|
| adaptations |
flexible structures that facilitate living organisms survival under given conditions e.g. , camouflage |
|
| adolescence |
The stage when females begin to ovulate and males produce sperm; also called sexual maturity. |
|
| aestivate |
The equivalent of hibernating (i.e. a state of torpor) in a warm climate. |
|
| agate |
Very fine-grained quartz, usually showing
concentric colour banding; formed in cavities
in rock (often gas bubbles trapped in lava) |
|
| aggressive mimicry |
resemblance of a predator or parasite, to a harmless species to deceive potential prey |
|
| agonistic behaviour |
a broad class of behaviour patterns including all types of attack, threat, appeasement and fight |
|
| agouti |
Grizzled appearance of the coat resulting from alternating light and dark banding of individual hairs. (See also brindled.) |
|
| alates |
winged, reproductive termites |
|
| albinism |
a state caused by the absence of pigmentation in the body covering of an organism. The animal usually appears white with pink eyes |
|
| algae |
Algae are a very large and diverse group of simple, typically autotrophic organisms, ranging from unicellular to multicellular forms, such as the giant kelps that grow to 65 meters in length |
|
| alien (species) |
describes a species that does not occur naturally in an area e.g. ,the Australian Black Wattle, Acacia mearnsii in South Africa |
|
| alkaline |
describing a liquid (usually) that has a pH above 7. It is the opposite of acidic, may be known as 'basic' or 'base'
|
|
| alkaloids |
the largest class of secondary plant compounds(chemicals).
|
|
| allelochemistry |
the influence that chemicals secreted by a plant has on other organisms.
|
|
| allelopathy |
The secretion by plants of chemicals, such as phenolic and terpenoid compounds, that inhibit the growth or reproduction of other plant species, with which they are competing. |
|
| allo-grooming |
grooming behaviour involving more than one animal |
|
| allopatric |
having different areas of geographical distribution, possessing non-overlapping areas |
|
| allopatric speciation |
speciation that occurs when an ancestral population of an organism becomes separated by some form of geographic barrier |
|
| alluvial |
material that has been transported by flowing water |
|
| alluvial plain |
Broad, flat region formed by
coalesced river floodplains |
|
| alpha (first letter in gk. alphabet). |
The top-ranking member of a dominance hierarchy. |
|
| altricial |
requiring care or nursing after birth At birth these animals are usually helpless, usually with eyes and ears closed and partially naked |
|
| altruism |
act of assisting another animal at the expense of your own health or circumstances |
|
| alum |
substance used in licks to control tick infestation |
|
| amber |
fossilised tree resin |
|
| amble |
A walking gait in which the legs on the same side are moved together (also called a parallel walk), in contrast to a cross-walk. |
|
| ametabolic |
This is a term applied to insects not undergoing any metamorphosis |
|
| ammonite |
Extinct diverse group of floating
or swimming marine molluscs with coiled,
chambered shells used for regulating
buoyancy; closely related to modern squids,
cuttlefish, octopus and Nautilus |
|
| amniotic sac |
The membranes surrounding a foetus and containing the fluid in which it floats. |
|
| amoeba |
one-celled aquatic or parasitic protozoans, having no definite form and consisting of protoplasm containing one or more nuclei surrounded by a flexible outer membrane. It moves by means of pseudopods. |
|
| amphibia |
the Class to which frogs and toads belong |
|
| amphibian |
Four-limbed vertebrates that remain
dependent on water for egg-laying and breed-
ing, including modern frogs, newts and sala-
manders; the ancestral group to reptiles |
|
| amphibious |
an organism that spends portions of its life both in and out of the water, e.g. , hippopotamus |
|
| amygdales |
Former gas bubbles in lava (vesicles)
that have become filled by minerals |
|
| anaerobic |
It refers to an environment devoid of oxygen. It is also frequently associated with a group of animals, for example anaerobic bacteria, which describes bacteria that live in oxygen free environments. |
|
| anaphylaxis |
advanced state of allergic reaction characterised by cardio-vacular distress, anaphylactic shock |
|
| anaplasmosis |
also called "gallsickness". A protozoal disease causing fever and anaemia in cattle. Wildlife are generally carriers of the disease |
|
| anapsid |
Anapsid skull - characterized by having no opening in the temporal region of the skull |
|
| anapsid (2) |
Member of a group of reptiles having a
skull structure in which there are no accessory
openings behind the eyes to accommodate
jaw muscles |
|
| andesite |
Fine-grained igneous rock (volcanic)
consisting mainly of amphibole (calcium, aluminium, iron and magnesium silicate) and plagioclase (calcium, sodium, aluminium silicate) |
|
| anemia |
pale looking |
|
| angiosperm |
seed protected within an ovary; division of seed bearing plants |
|
| annual |
a plant that completes its lifecycle from germination to death in only one season |
|
| antbear |
see aardvark |
|
| antennae |
sensory appendages found on the head of many arthropods specifically insects. Also known as 'feelers' |
|
| anterior |
toward the front |
|
| anthelminthic |
a product which is used to remove worms from the digestive tract |
|
| anthrax |
a highly contagious bacterial disease of wild and domestic animals |
|
| anthropomorphic |
human-centred; assigning human characteristics to non-human species |
|
| anti-venom |
drug administered intravenously to counter the effects of envenomation by snakes, scorpions, spiders and insects |
|
| antibiosis |
The release of chemicals from the root of a plant that inhibit the growth of other plants adjacent to it |
|
| antioxidant |
a chemical that destroys free radicals |
|
| antiparasiticides |
products applied externally to animals to control tick infestations |
|
| apatite |
Mineral consisting of calcium phosphate |
|
| apex |
tip of a leaf, or the terminal point |
|
| aphelion |
the furthermost point of a planet's orbit from the sun |
|
| apis |
This is the Geniric name for bees in the Family Apidae. "Api" is from the Latin for bees, thus apiology, the study of bees, apicology, the ecology of bees etc. |
|
| apocrine gland |
a large sweat gland that produces both a fluid and an apocrine secretion; in human beings located in hairy regions of the body |
|
| aposomatic |
warning colouration. Usually contrasting yellow, red or orange against black, it advertises the fact that the organism is either poisonous, toxic, distasteful or harmful in some manner, e.g. bees |
|
| appendages |
A part or organ, such as an arm, leg, tail, or fin, that is joined to the axis or trunk of a body. |
|
| aquatic |
living in water |
|
| arachnid |
Member of the group of arthropods to
which spiders and mites belong, characterised
by having four pairs of legs and an external
skeleton of chitin |
|
| arachnida |
the Class to which spiders, scorpions, ticks and mites belong |
|
| arachnophobia |
the fear of spiders |
|
| arboreal |
living in or adapted to living in trees |
|
| archaean eon |
Period of Earth history extending
from 4 600 million to 2 500 million years ago |
|
| archaebacteria |
[Archaea] Primitive form of bacteria |
|
| archosauria |
The so-called Ruling Reptiles that
include the ancestors of all crocodiles,
dinosaurs and birds, characterised by two
accessory openings in the skull behind the eye
to accommodate jaw muscles; many showed a
strong trend towards a bipedal (two-legged)
running gait |
|
| arctica |
Early continent that consisted of parts of
North America, Siberia and Greenland,
believed to have formed between 2 500
million and 1 500 million years ago |
|
| areola |
Apex of a mollusc shell |
|
| argasid |
a group of ticks representing those tick species which have soft bodies |
|
| arid zone |
A region of low rainfall with characteristically sparse vegetation, intermediate between desert and savanna. |
|
| arthropod |
an animal that has a segmented body and jointed legs and is covered in a hard exoskeleton, e.g. , arachnids, myriapods, insects |
|
| arthropod (2) |
Member of the great group of invertebrate animals that includes crustaceans
(shrimps, lobsters, crabs, etc.), arachnids
(spiders, mites) and insects, all characterised
by having an external skeleton made of a hard
substance called chitin, and a variable number
of jointed legs; many insects also develop
wings in the adult stages and can fly |
|
| arthropoda (arthropod) |
an animal that has a segmented body and jointed legs and is covered in a hard exoskeleton, e.g. arachnids, myriapods, insects |
|
| artiodactyla |
Even-toed ungulates. Members of this mammalian order are characterised by either two or four weight bearing toes on each foot. Examples include the antelope and warthogs. |
|
| aspect |
an objects fixed position in relation to direction E.g. north facing |
|
| assimilation |
the transformation or incorporation of a substance by organisms; absorption and conversion of energy and nutrient intake into constituents of an organism |
|
| association |
a natural unit of vegetation characterised by its composition and often dominated by a particular species |
|
| asteroid |
Small bodies (less than 1 000 km diameter)
orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter |
|
| asthenosphere |
Zone within the Earth between
depths of about 70 and 200 km possessing
relatively lower seismic velocities, probably
due to its very plastic nature; also referred to
as the Low Velocity Zone (or Layer) or LVZ |
|
| astrology |
study of 12 principle star constellations and their relevance to mankind |
|
| astronavigation |
the use of star constellations, the moon or other cosmic features to determine position and direction. Used by certain birds in long distance migration |
|
| astronomy |
study of stars, moons, planets, galaxies and other cosmic phenomena |
|
| ataxic |
the failure of muscular co-ordination, also known as ataxia or ataxy |
|
| atlantica |
Early continent that consisted of parts
of eastern South America and western Africa,
believed to have formed about 2 000 million
years ago |
|
| atmosphere |
the layer of gas surrounding the earth |
|
| autecology |
ecology of an individual organism or species |
|
| autotomy |
voluntary breaking off of part of the body by an animal in an attempt to escape predation |
|
| autotrophic |
self nourishing, e.g. , photosynthesis in green plants |
|
| aves |
the Class of animals distinguished by feathers and wings |
|
| avifauna |
birds |
|
| avivorous |
feeding on a diet of birds |
|
| axillary |
The armpit area. |
|
|