| caecum |
specialised portion of the lower / large intestine |
|
| calcification |
process of soil formation characterised by accumulation of calcium in the lower horizons |
|
| calcite |
Mineral consisting of calcium carbonate |
|
| calliphoridae |
the fly family representing the metallic blue and green coloured flies which feed on carcasses |
|
| callosities |
The two patches of thickened, bare (often shiny and colourful) skin on which monkeys sit. |
|
| calving rate |
the rate of juveniles born to a game population per year at the conclusion of all births. It is expressed as a % of the population |
|
| camouflage |
the way that an animal's skin colour and texture blend with the surroundings |
|
| canine |
the tooth immediately posterior to the incisors |
|
| cannibalistic |
the practice of eating members of the same or similar species, e.g. file snakes |
|
| capture myopathy |
an unnatural and life-threatening state; characterised by a variety of seemingly unrelated symptoms caused by various od capture-related factors; significantly stress. |
|
| carapace |
upper portion of a chelonia shell |
|
| carbohydrates |
Various neutral compounds of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, such as sugars, starches, and cellulose, mostly formed by green plants. Cf. proteins. |
|
| carcinogen |
a chemical substance that is linked to causing cancer |
|
| carnassial (teeth) |
the last upper premolar and first lower molar that fit together in a shearing surface. A defining characteristic of carnivores |
|
| carnivore |
meat eater, either predator or scavenger |
|
| carrion |
dead or decaying bodies of animals |
|
| carrying capacity (ecological) |
the number of animal units an area can support |
|
| cartilaginous |
Fish in which the skeleton, including the skull and jaws, consists entirely of cartilage and never, even in the adult stage, comprises bony tissue. |
|
| caste (system) |
a division of labour within a social insect society, i.e. workers, soldiers, guards, nursery workers e.g. termites, ants and certain bee species |
|
| catalogue auctions |
selling game in an auction format, animals are not on display. |
|
| catena |
a soil profile and slope which has developed from a single parent material from crest to valley |
|
| ceacum |
portion of a mammalian colon |
|
| cell |
the smallest unit of living matter |
|
| cellulose |
a form of plant tissue, difficult to digest |
|
| cephalization |
the evolution of an anterior structure that contains a neural network – brain |
|
| cephalothorax |
the fusion of the head and thorax of arachnids |
|
| cere |
referring the soft or wax-like membrane at the base of the upper beak in certain birds, through which the nostrils open. |
|
| character convergence |
evolution of similar appearance or behaviour in unrelated species |
|
| character divergence |
evolution of behavioural, physiological or morphological differences among species occupying the same area, brought about by selective pressure of competition |
|
| chelicerae |
mouth parts of spiders 'fangs' |
|
| chelonia |
reptilian order containing the tortoises, terrapins and turtles, known as shield reptiles. |
|
| chemotropism |
the growth of a plant in response to chemical stimulus |
|
| chert |
Sedimentary rock consisting of very fine-
grained quartz (silicon dioxide) formed by
chemical precipitation from water |
|
| chilopoda |
centipedes |
|
| chitin |
the tough component of an exoskeleton |
|
| chitons |
the common name for molluscs belonging to the Class: Polyplacophora |
|
| chlorophyll |
a chemical found in the leaves of plants that facilitate photosynthesis and provide leaves with their green colouration |
|
| chordata |
animals with a backbone/spine |
|
| chromatophores |
specialised skin cells the produce different colour pigments |
|
| chromite |
Mineral consisting of an oxide of iron
and chromium |
|
| cilia |
Short cell appendages for specialised for locomotion. |
|
| ciliated |
Cells having Cilia. See def. of Cilia |
|
| classification |
any method of arranging living organisms into a systematic order |
|
| clastic sedimentary rock |
Sedimentary rock con-
sisting of discrete particles that were moved as
separate grains to the site of deposition |
|
| climax community |
a plant community, where no significant change in species composition has taken place within the previous 500 years |
|
| cloaca |
a common orifice for the release of digestive, excretory and reproductive material and waste |
|
| clubmosses |
Group of early land vascular plants
with microphylls (primitive leaves) growing in
whorls from the stems; they have spores in
cone-like structures. Today only herbaceous
moss-like clubmosses survive but during the
Carboniferous some grew to tree size. Also
known as lycophytes, lycopods and formally
as Lycopsida |
|
| co-evolution |
Joint evolution of two or more non-interbreeding species where the evolution of one species in the relationship is partially dependent on the evolution of the other. |
|
| co-existence |
two or more species living together in the same habitat, usually with some form of competitive interaction |
|
| co-operative breeding |
a system in which adult animals help to care for young which are not their own. |
|
| coal |
Sedimentary rock consisting mainly of
carbon, formed by the accumulation and
chemical alteration of plant matter |
|
| cobalt |
Cobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. Like nickel, cobalt in the Earth's crust is found only in chemically combined form, save for small deposits found in alloys of natural meteoric iron. |
|
| coccidiosis |
protozoal disease charcaterised by severe diarrhoea in especially captive animals |
|
| cochineal |
A red dye made of the dried and pulverized bodies of female cochineal insects. It is used as a biological stain and as an indicator in acid-base titrations, as well as a general red dye. |
|
| cochlear |
A spiral-shaped cavity of the inner ear that resembles a snail shell and contains nerve endings essential for hearing. |
|
| coleoptera |
the order of insects which includes beetles |
|
| colloid |
tiny particles suspended in a continuous medium |
|
| colostrum |
the first milk, containing antibodies and rich in protein and energy, that a young animal receives from its mother |
|
| columbia |
Supercontinent that may have existed
on Earth around 1 800 million years ago |
|
| columella |
the central pillar on which the whorls of a molluscs shell are deposited |
|
| comet |
Large body consisting mainly of ice
laced with dust that orbits the Sun in a very
eccentric orbit |
|
| commensalism |
a relationship between two species where the relationship is beneficial to one but is neutral or of no benefit to the other |
|
| community |
different populations that live in a common area and affect one another |
|
| competition |
the demand of organisms within a community for the same resources, when this is in short supply |
|
| competitive exclusion |
this hypothesis deals with the issue that when two or more species coexist using the same limited resource, one species must displace or exclude the other |
|
| compound eyes |
the normal eyes of adult insects, consisting of many facets |
|
| compound leaf |
a single leaf that consists of many leaflets |
|
| concentrate selector |
Referring specifically to ruminants that feed selectively on high-protein plants (new leaves or grass, flowers, seeds, etc.). |
|
| condensed tannins |
tannins which form complexes with proteins, thus hindering fermentation and digestion |
|
| conglomerate |
Coarse-grained sedimentary rock
consisting of pebbles, cobbles or boulders
with sandy material filling the spaces between
larger particles |
|
| conifers |
One of the groups of gymnosperms or
naked seed plants; e.g. pines, spruces, firs and
yellowwoods; all are woody plants, frequently
trees, and produce cones |
|
| conservation |
the structured use and planned management of the earth's natural resources |
|
| conspecific |
of the same species |
|
| consumer |
an organism that is unable to synthesize its own food and relies on other organisms for its nutrition. |
|
| consumptive use of game |
hunting and fishing |
|
| contact carrier |
an animal which has not developed symptoms after exposure to a disease, but is a source of infection |
|
| contagious behaviour |
An action that stimulates other animals to follow suit. |
|
| continental crust |
The Earth’s crust beneath continents; consisting mainly of granite and related
rocks, it is usually about 35 km thick, but may
be thicker beneath mountain ranges |
|
| continental drift |
Theory that continents move
with respect to each other |
|
| continental shelf |
The fringes of continents that
are submerged below sea level; the edge of the
shelf is usually marked by an abrupt increase
in slope onto the Continental slope that passes
down to the abyssal plain |
|
| convalescent carrier |
an animal that has recovered from clinical symptoms but is still a source of infection |
|
| convergent evolution |
the development of similar characteristics in different species living in different areas but under similar environmental conditions |
|
| coppicing |
the controlled removal of vegetation in response to a habitat management plan |
|
| coprophagy |
ingesting faeces and other waste products |
|
| copulation |
act of mating whereby the male’s sperm is deposited into the females reproductive organs |
|
| cordaitales |
Group of extinct spore-producing
plants with long, strap-shaped leaves; probably
ancestral to the conifers |
|
| core |
Innermost portion of the Earth, believed to
consist of nickel and iron; the inner core is
solid and the outer core liquid |
|
| corridor disease |
Theileriosis |
|
| corynebacterium |
a group of bacteria species causing infections through wounds |
|
| courtship |
ritualised activity between male and female conspecifics as a prelude to mating |
|
| cratons |
The stable, ancient cores of continents;
usually made up of granodiorites and green-
stone belts |
|
| crepuscular |
active at sunrise and sunset |
|
| crinoid |
Member of the group of attached, stalked
echinoderms commonly known as sea lilies |
|
| cropping |
the steady removal of a predetermined number of animals over an extended period of time, usually in response to a habitat management plan |
|
| cross bedding |
Stratification (layering) in a sedimentary rock that is inclined to the surface on
which the sediment was deposited; formed by
the migration of ripples or dunes across the
sediment surface |
|
| cross-walk |
Walking gait in which diagonally opposite limbs (forelimb and opposite hindlimb ( move together (cf amble). |
|
| croup |
The rump, especially the part between the hips and tail. |
|
| crown |
the shape made by the upper branches and leaves of a tree |
|
| crust |
Outermost layer of the Earth situated above
the Mohoroviˇci´c Discontinuity |
|
| crustacean |
a group of Arthropods having a hard outer shell, are usually aquatic and are gill breathing, e.g. shrimps, crabs etc |
|
| cryptic |
Concealing, inconspicuous, the opposite of revealing, usually referring to coloration and markings. |
|
| cud |
A bolus of partially digested vegetation that a ruminant regurgitates, chews, in-salivates, and swallows again while ruminating. |
|
| culling |
controlling game populations by shooting |
|
| cursorial |
species that wander around in search of prey |
|
| cuticle |
Protective outer layer secreted by the
outer skin of plants and arthropods |
|
| cyanobacteria |
Group of micro-organisms capable
of oxygen-producing photosynthesis |
|
| cycadeoid |
Group of extinct plants that physically
resembles the cycads but differs in the reproductive cycle |
|
| cyclone |
term for a hurricane in the Southern Hemisphere |
|
| cynodont |
Group of advanced mammal-like
reptiles (therapsids) from which mammals are
considered to have evolved |
|
| cynognathus |
Flesh-eating cynodont mammal-like reptile, which was the size of a large wolf |
|
| cystoid |
Extinct members of the group of marine
invertebrates, known as the Echinodermata,
which had an external shell |
|
| cytauxzoonosis |
protozoal disease similar to theileriosis, also called East Coast Fever |
|
| cytotoxic |
venom that causes localised tissue damage at the site of envenomation, usually associated with intense pain and marked swelling |
|
|