Most of the following terms were compiled and/or adapted from the following
sources:
Behler, J. L. and F. W. King. 1996. National Audobon Society
Field Guide to North American Reptiles and Amphibians. Alfred A. Knopf,
New York, NY, USA.
Conant, R. and J. T. Collins. 1998. A Field Guide to Reptiles
and Amphibians, Eastern and Central North America, expanded 3rd ed. Houghton
Mifflin, Boston, MA, USA.
Minton, S. A., Jr. 2001. Amphibians and Reptiles of Indiana,
2nd. ed. Indiana Academy of Science, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
Powell, R., J. T. Collins, and E. D. Hooper, Jr. 1998. A Key
to Amphibians and Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada. University
Press of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA.
abdominals fourth set of plates on the plastron
in turtles
adpressed limbs in salamanders and lizards when the forelimbs
and hindlimbs are laid towards each other at full length along the body
amplexus position of sexual embrace in anurans
anal plate (cloacal plate) terminal ventral scale or scute
in snakes, usually larger than the others
anals most posterior set of plates in the plastron in turtles
anterior toward the head
anurans frogs and toads
aquatic frequenting water or living and growing in water.
Fully aquatic species usually have gills (sirens, tadpoles, etc.) while other
species are semiaquatic (turtles, crocodiles, etc.)
arboreal adapted for living in trees
attenuated thin and slender
axilla armpit
axillaries scutes on the anterior margin of the bridge in turtles
barbels Small downward fleshy projections of
the skin on the chin or throat found in some turtles and tadpoles
basal constriction narrowing of the tail near its origin in
some salamanders
bicornuate tongue tongue characteristic of ranid frogs with
two posterior projections
boss raised,rounded area; in toads it often lies between the
eyes or near the end of the snout
branchial referring to gills in salamanders
bridge connection between the carapace and plastron in turtles
canthals scales of the canthal ridge
canthal ridge sharply defined and angular canthus rostralis
canthus rostralis Ridge from the eye to the tip of the snout
carapace upper shell of a turtle
caudal posterior
caudates salamanders and newts
chevron V-shaped mark
chin shields paired, elongate scales on the lower jaw of snakes
between the lower labials
cirri Downward projections from nostrils in plethodontid males;
naso-labial grooves extend almost to the tips
cloaca Chamber into which urinary, digestive, and reproductive
canals empty; opens to the exterior through the anus
cloacal aperature opening of the cloaca
cloacal plate see anal plate
cornifications hardened areas of skin, often in males of breeding
amphibians
costal folds areas between the costal grooves
costal grooves vertical grooves on the salamander trunk
costals (pleurals) scutes lying over the ribs between the vertebrals
and marginals in the carapace of turtles
cranial crests raised ridge on the heads of toads and some
newts; interorbital (between the eyes) or postorbital (behind the eyes)
crepuscular active at twilight or dawn
cusp toothlike projection of a jaw
cuspate having an enlarged projection from the middle of the
upper jaw (in some tadpoles and turtles)
denticles larval teeth in tadpoles
dewlap laterally compressed fold of skin under the throats
of some lizards
dimorphism difference in morphology between members of the
same species; sexual dimorphism is a difference between the sexes, dichromatism
is a color difference between members of the same sex
distal away from the origin of an appendage
diurnal active during daylight hours
dorsal pertaining to the upper surface of an animal
dorsolateral intermediate between the center of the back and
the sides of the body
dorsolateral folds paired ridges running down the backs of
some frogs
dorsum the upper surface of an animal
eft immature terrestrial stage of a newt
emarginated indented
endemic indigenous or confined to a specific region
estivation (aestivation) state of inactivity between prolonged
periods of drought or high temperatures
excrescence outgrowth of the skin; often on the digits and
legs of male amphibians during the breeding season
femoral pores small openings containing a waxlike
material on the undersides of the thighs in some lizards
femoralis fifth set of plates on the plastron of a turtle
form species or subspecies; distinct, identifiable population
fossorial adapted for digging and subterranean existence
fracture plane zone of softer tissue in the tail bones of some
lizards that allow the tail to break off
frontoparietals scales between the frontal and parietal plates
on the heads of some lizards
furrow deep, sharply-defined groove
granules small, flat scales, not overlapping,
usually convex
gravid bearing eggs or young, ordinarily in the oviducts
growth rings concentric areas on the scutes of some turtles;
each ring indicates a season’s growth
gular pertaining to the throat
gular fold transverse fold of skin across the throat in some
salamanders and lizards
gulars most anterior scutes on a turtle’s plastron
hemipenes male copulatory organs: paired
in squamates, unpaired in crocodilians and turtles
herpetofauna amphibians and reptiles native to a region
herptiles term increasingly used to collectively refer to amphibians
and reptiles
humeral pertaining to the upper part of the forelimb
humerals second set of plates on the plastron of a turtle
hybrids offspring of two different taxa
infralabials lower labials of lizards and snakes
inframarginals plates between the marginals of the carapace
and plastron in turtles
inguinal pertaining to the groin or the region around the base
of the hind limbs
inguinals scutes on the posterior margin of the bridge in turtles
intercalary cartilage element between the last two phalanges
in the digits of some frogs and toads
intergrades animals of related and adjoining subspecies that
may resemble either form or exhibit intermediate characteristics
internasals scales between the nasals on the heads of some
lizards and snakes
interparietal median dorsal head scale in lizards between the
parietals
keel raised ridge down the back, tail, or scale
labial pertaining to the lip
labials scales bordering the lips of lizards and snakes
laminae horny external plates covering the carapace of most
turtles
lateral pertaining to the side
larva the juvenile form of many amphibians that changes stucturally
when it becomes an adult
loreal pit deep depression in the loreal scale of viperid snakes
loreals scales on the side of the head in some lizards and
snakes between the nasals and preoculars
lorilabials longitudinal row of scales lying between the upper
labials and loreal or suboculars of some lizards and snakes
marginal ridge raised area along the free edge
of the carapace in some softshell turtles
marginals plates lying along the periphery of the carapace
in turtles
maxillary teeth teeth on the maxillary bones in the upper jaws
in some amphibians and reptiles
median toward the midline of an animal
melanistic specimen with an abundance of dark pigment
mental single scale at the anterior border of the lower jaw
in lizards and snakes
mental gland gland on the chin of some salamanders
metatarsal tubercules protrusions or spades on the basal portion
of the feet, usually used for burrowing in some toads
monotypic only representative of a group, such as a genus with
only one species
nares nostrils
nasal scales on the sides of the head in lizards and snakes
in which the openings of the nares may be found
naso-labial groove groove extending from the nostril to the
lip in plethodontid salamanders
neotenic retaining larval characteristics, similar to paedomorphic
nocturnal active at night
nuchal median plate at the anterior edge of the carapace in
turtles; also head scales of some lizards and snakes posterior to the parietals
and interparietal; pertaining to the nape of the neck
ocular scale covering the eye in snakes
occipital see nuchal
occipital spines projections extending from the occipital region
of the head in some lizards
ocelli round, eyelike spots
oral disc fleshy parts of a tadpole’s mouth
oviparous producing young in eggs
oviposition laying of eggs
ovoviviparous poroducing young by means of membranous eggs
retained in the female until hatching
paedomorphic retention of larval characteristics,
similar to neotenic
palatal teeth teeth on the roof of the mouth in some toads
and frogs
palmar tubercules small rounded projections on the hands and
feet of some amphibians
papillae small, nipple-like projections
parasphenoid teeth teeth on the parasphenoid bones in the roofs
of mouths in some amphibians
paravertebral stripe stripe lying to one side of the midline
of the back
paratoid glands paired, wartlike glands on the shoulder or
neck or behind the eye in toads
parietal eye sensory structure opening through the top of the
skull in lizards
parietals large head scales of lizards and snakes immediately
behind the frontal and often separated by an interparietal
parthogenesis reproduction without male fertilization
pectoral glands small glandular masses on the chests of some
spadefoot toads
pectorals third set of plates in the plastron of turtles
perrenibranchiate retention of gills by some adult salamanders
phalanges bones of the toes
plastron lower shell of a turtle
posterior (caudal) toward the tail, away from the head
postfemoral pockets infoldings of skin behind the hindlimbs
of some lizards
postlabials scales behind the labials in lizards
postmentals scales behind the mentals along the line of the
chin in lizards
postnasals scales behind the nasals and anterior to the loreal
in some snakes and lizards
postocular behind the eye
postoculars scales bordering the posterior margin of the eye
in some snakes and lizards
postrostrals scales behind the rostrals in some lizards and
snakes
preanal pores extensions of the femoral pore series onto the
body
preanals scales anterior to the cloacal aperature in lizards
preauriculars scales in front of the ears in some lizards and
snakes
prefrontals scales anterior to the frontals in some lizards
and snakes
prehensile adapted to grasping or wrapping around
premaxillary teeth teeth associated with the premaxilla along
the anterior margin of the upper jaw
preocular anterior to the eye
preoculars scales bordering the anterior margin of the eyes
in some lizards and snakes
process extension of a structure or organ
race subspecies
reticulation color pattern resembling the mesh of a net
rostrals scales at the tip of the snout in lizards and snakes
rugose wrinkly or warty
scale pits depressions on the posteror portions
of the scales of some snakes
scute enlarged scale of a reptile, sometimes called a “shield”
or “plate”
serrate having sawlike projections
sibling species two or more species derived from a common parental
stock
snout-vent length measurement of head-body length from tip
of the snout to cloacal aperature
spatulate flat and rounded at tip
spermatophore cone-shaped jellylike mass topped with a sperm
cap, deposited by male salamanders during courtship
spicule tiny, pointed structure
spiracle tubelike external opening from the gill chambers in
tadpoles
squamates lizards and snakes
subcaudals scales beneath the tail
subocular beneath the eye
suboculars scales directly below the eye in some reptiles
subspecies taxonomic term for a distinctive group (usually
in coloration) of individuals of the same species that are not reproductively
isolated from the rest of the members of the species
sulcus groove or suture on the plastron of turtles
superciliaries small scales bordering the orbits in some lizards
supralabials upper labial scales in lizards and snakes
supranasals scales above the nasals in some lizards and snakes
supraoccipital above the occipital area near the upper rear
of the skull
supraocular above the eye
supraoculars scales above the eye that form shields in snakes
supraorbital semicircle row of small scales separating the
supraoculars from the median head scutes in some lizards
supratympanic ridge thick glandular ridge of skin above the
tympanum in some frogs
suture seam; boundary between scales or scutes
SVL snout-vent length
synonym alternative mane for a taxon
tadpole larval anuran
taxon term for a taxonomic category (i.e., species, subspecies,
genus, etc.)
temporals scales behind the postoculars
terminal discs (toepads) expanded tips of digits in some amphibians
tentacle specialized sensory structure associated with the
eye in caecilians
tibia leg from heel to knee in frogs and toes
tribe taxonomic unit between genus and subfamily
troglodyte cave-dweller
tuberculate skin characterized by small bumps
tubercules small, knoblike projections
tympanum eardrum
urodeles salamanders and newts
vent cloacal aperature or anal opening in amphibians
and reptiles
venter entire undersurface or abdomen of an animal
ventral pertaining to the lower surface
vertebrals middorsal row of scales in lizards and snakes or
of plates in turtle carapaces
viviparous bearing live young
vocal sac inflatable pouch on the throat or neck in male frogs
and toads
vomerine teeth teeth lying on the vomer in the palate of some
amphibians
whorl symmetrical row of enlarged scales circling
a caudal segment in some lizards
