Here’s a glossary of words you’ll come across on Cottontail Acres. You can jump to different categories by clicking on these links…Scaly, Furry, Feathered, Creepy Crawly & Slimy, and Aquatic. A species-specific glossary can be found on each of the animal pages.
General Glossary
Adult – The period when an animal reaches sexual maturity. The point an animal reaches adulthood depends on its species (i.e., a caterpillar is an adult when it becomes a butterfly)
Albumin – The white or clear liquid on the inside of an egg
Altricial – (opposite of precocial) Animals that are born in undeveloped conditions (little fur, eyes closed) and need help from a parent to survive (i.e., kangaroos, humans, cats, dogs)
Amniotes – An invertebrate, mammal, reptile, or bird whose embryo develops inside an egg
Amniotic Egg – An egg with a shell that contains amniotic fluid that protects the embryo inside
Anterior – Also known as cranial. Towards the front or head of an animal
Apex Predator – (opposite of prey) A predator at the very top of the food chain that has no natural predators (i.e., humans, giant otters, saltwater crocodiles, Komodo dragons, orca whales, bald eagles)
Arboreal – Animals that live in tree canopies (i.e., chameleons, koalas, sloths, kinkajous)
Autotroph – An organism that can produce its food using light, carbon dioxide, water, or other chemicals
Carnivore – An animal that eats flesh or meat (i.e., lions, tigers, housecats, snakes, hawks)
Carrion – Decaying and rotting animal flesh
Colony – A group of similar animals or organisms that live together (i.e., rabbits, ants, honeybees, rats, mice)
Crepuscular – Active just before sunrise (matutinal) and/or just after sunset (vespertine) (i.e., coyotes, bats, rabbits, duck-billed platypus)
Cull – To separate an animal or organism from its larger group; to remove an animal from the breeding population
Diurnal – Active during the day (i.e., humans, most primates, dogs)
Dorsal – Upper or top part of an animal
Ectotherm – (opposite of endotherm and homeotherm) An animal that can’t produce its body heat and relies on something in the environment to stay warm like the sun or a heat lamp. These animals are commonly referred to as cold-blooded animals (i.e., reptiles, most fish, and amphibians)
Endoskeleton – An animal or organism that has an internal support structure such as bones or cartilage on the inside of its body (i.e., humans, cats, snakes, fish)
Endotherm – (opposite of ectotherm) These animals are commonly referred to as warm-blooded. An animal that can change its metabolic rate in response to the environment to stay warm (i.e., humans, cats, birds, most mammals)
Estivation – Primarily relates to animals that live in hot and dry climates. When the temperatures rise, these animals will find shade and estivate (become inactive) to avoid dehydration and to stay cool until the temperatures lower (i.e., birds, earthworms, fish, tortoises)
Euthanize – The act of humanely ending an animal’s life
Exoskeleton – A rigid external body covering (i.e., grasshoppers, cockroaches, snails, crabs, insects, arachnids)
Flake – A small section of hay that breaks apart from the full bundle
Flehmen Response – When an animal smells something and curls back its upper lip
Fossorial – (“fossor” means digger) Animals that burrow for shelter but search for food above ground (i.e., prairie dogs, rabbits, burrowing owls, armadillos)
Frugivore – An animal that eats fruit (i.e., toucans, fruit bats, sugar gliders, maned wolves, orangutans, owl monkeys)
Habitat – The environment an animal lives in (i.e., desert, aquatic, forest, grassland, mountain, tropical)
Herbivore – An animal that only eats plants (i.e., horses, goats, deer, rabbits, giraffes, elephants)
Hibernation – Physical changes within the environment that induces a state of dormancy (i.e., colder weather, less sunshine, fewer food sources) (i.e., ground squirrels, skunks, bees, groundhogs)
Homeotherm – (opposite of ectotherm) An animal that keeps its body at a consistent temperature within a certain range using its metabolic activity. These animals are commonly referred to as warm-blooded (i.e., human body temperature is consistently around 97 degrees Fahrenheit, cows are consistently around 101 degrees Fahrenheit, pigs are consistently around 102 degrees Fahrenheit, cats and dogs are consistently around 101 degrees Fahrenheit)
Hypercarnivore – An animal whose diet consists of at least 70% flesh or meat (i.e., dogs, turkey vultures, snakes)
Insectivore – An animal that only eats insects (i.e., spiders, most frogs, chameleons, nightingales, ladybugs)
Jacobson’s Organ – (also called a vomeronasal organ) A scent organ on the roof of the mouth that helps process where scents are coming from. Reptiles use this organ to determine where their prey is. If the organ picks up a scent from the right fork of the reptile’s tongue, it tells the reptile the scent is coming from the right side of its body. The same goes for the left side. If the reptile picks up the scent from both forks of its tongue, it tells the reptile the smell is coming from in front of it. You can also see this organ at work when a cat or goat smells something and opens its mouth to try to understand what the scent is and where it’s coming from. The organ is also used in communication between animals of the same species.
Molt – Also called shed. The process of fur, hair, or dead skin falling off an animal, usually caused by stress, the changing of the seasons, or growth (i.e., reptiles, cats, dogs, pigs, horses)
Morph – When animals of the same species have different markings or coloration
Nectivorous – An animal that eats nectar (i.e., hummingbirds, bees, bats, bears, chickadees, butterflies)
Nocturnal – Active at night (i.e., cockroaches, most rodents, badgers, raccoons)
Obligate Carnivore – An animal that gets 100% of its nutrition strictly from flesh or meat (i.e., housecats, hawks, snakes, turkey vultures, some reptiles)
Omnivore – An animal that eats both flesh/meat and plants (i.e., humans, dogs, raccoons, hedgehogs, poultry)
Oviparous – (opposite of viviparous) An animal that lays eggs that hatch outside of the body (i.e., birds, spiders, fish, reptiles)
Parasite – An animal or organism that lives on or in another species (i.e., botflies, tapeworms, fleas, lice)
Piloerection – When the hair on the body stands up (i.e., when cats get spooked, when humans get goosebumps, dogs bristling)
Poison – A toxin in an animal’s body, on its skin, or in its saliva that can cause a reaction, illness, or death if ingested or touched. The toxins are acquired by something in the environment or from something the animal eats. It is thought that poisonous species only deliver their toxins in defense against predators (i.e., golden poison frog, poison dart frogs, pufferfish, hawksbill sea turtles, monarch butterflies, some snakes, hooded pitohuis)
Posterior – Also known as caudal. Towards the back or rear of an animal
Precocial – (opposite of altricial) An animal that is capable of seeing, hearing, standing, and eating on its own right after birth without help from its parent (i.e., horses, guinea pigs, hares, birds, poultry, Argentine tegus)
Predator – An animal that can both eat prey and can be prey (i.e., a housecat is a predator to a mouse and prey to a coyote)
Prey – (opposite of predator) Animals that are hunted by other animals for food (i.e., owls eat rabbits, bears eat fish, cats eat mice)
Regeneration – A process where an animal regrows damaged or missing cells, organs, tissues, and body parts (i.e., geckos can regrow their tails, one family of starfish can grow an entire body from a lost limb, axolotls can regrow their organs, skin, and body parts)
Reverse Zoonotic Disease – (opposite of zoonotic disease) Virus, parasite, bacteria, or fungi diseases passed from humans to animals (i.e., methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), tuberculosis)
Riparian – Watery habitat (i.e., bog, swamp, riverside, lakeside, seashore)
Sanguivore – An animal that feeds on the blood of another living animal (i.e., female mosquitoes, ticks, vampire bats, assassin bugs, leaches, hood mockingbirds, fleas)
Shed – Also called molt. The process of fur, hair, or dead skin falling off an animal, usually caused by stress, the changing of the seasons, or growth (i.e., reptiles, cats, dogs, pigs, horses)
Subterranean – (“sub” means under and “terra” means earth or soil) Animals that forage for food, mate, breed, and live underground (i.e. moles, earthworms)
Terrestrial – Animals that live on land (i.e., humans, grasshoppers, cats, kangaroos, wolves)
Territorial – An animal that claims an environment as its own and will be defensive to protect it (i.e., wolves, coyotes, cougars, falcons, housecats)
Torpor – Changes in circadian rhythm, temperature, and metabolic changes within the body that induces a state of lethargy and dormancy
Toxungen – An animal that sprays its poison or venom (i.e., scorpions, bombardier beetles, spitting cobras bite and spray their venom)
Venom – Also known as zootoxin. A toxin created in an animal’s body that is delivered directly and deliberately into another human or animal via a wound created by a bite or sting (i.e., jellyfish, scorpions, wasps, lionfish, vipers, duck-billed platypus, Mexican beaded lizards, sting rays, spitting cobras bite and spray their venom)
Ventral – Lower or belly part of an animal
Vertebrate – An animal that has a backbone or spine and a skeleton (i.e., humans, mammals, birds, fish)
Zoology – A branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom
Zoonotic Disease – (opposite of reverse zoonotic disease) Virus, parasite, bacteria, or fungi diseases passed from animals to humans (i.e., rabies, West Nile Virus, plague, Lyme disease, salmonella)
Scaly Glossary
Amphibian – An ectotherm vertebrate that usually starts its life living in water and having gills; some species will develop into a terrestrial animal with lungs (i.e., caecilians, frogs, salamanders, newts, toads)
Brumation – Changes within the body brought on by physical changes in the environment that induces a state of dormancy. Animals will stop eating, heart and respiratory rates slow, and digestion slows. Brumation is similar to topor in mammals, but the term is used for ectotherms (i.e., turtles, lizards, snakes)
Clutch – The total group of eggs laid by birds, reptiles, or amphibians during a breeding season. The size of the clutch depends on the species that laid the eggs
Crocodilian – A class of large, semi-aquatic predatory reptiles (i.e., alligators, crocodiles, caimans, gharials)
Ecdysis – The act of shedding skin
Hatchling – A young animal that has recently been hatched (i.e., fish, duckling, chick)
Herpetology – The study of reptiles and amphibians
Juvenile – The period between an animal being weaned and reaches sexual maturity. This period depends on the species (i.e., a human child)
Reptile – An ectothermic vertebrate with scales (i.e., snakes, lizards, turtles, crocodiles, alligators)
Viviparous – (opposite of oviparous) An animal that gives birth to live offspring that have completed development inside the womb before birth (i.e., humans, dolphins, cats, dogs, skunks)
Furry Glossary
Castrate – To remove the testes on a male animal to prevent reproduction
Mammal – (from the word mammary as in mammary gland) A warm-blooded vertebrate that has hair or fur, produces milk, and (usually) gives birth to live offspring (i.e., humans, marsupials, goats, raccoons, guinea pigs, dogs, horses)
Marsupial – A mammal whose premature offspring are not completely developed at birth. Final development happens outside of the mother’s womb (i.e., kangaroos, koalas, Tasmanian devils, wombats, wallabies, sugar gliders)
Marsupian – (origin of the word marsupial) The pouch a young marsupial lives in while growing
Monotremes – Mammals that lay eggs. There are only five known monotremes in existence – the duck-billed platypus and four species of echidnas (spiny anteaters)
Righting Reflex – Also known as the labyrinthine righting reflex. This reflex helps mammals correct the orientation of their bodies when unbalanced. In cats, this is seen when a cat jumps or falls and corrects its body to land on its feet. Gymnastic athletes also rely on the righting reflex for balance.
Rodent – A gnawing mammal with upper and lower incisor teeth that continue to grow throughout its life (i.e., beavers, mice, rats, squirrels, hamsters, chinchillas)
Ruminant – A hoofed herbivore mammal that has a multi-chambered stomach (i.e., goats, sheep, cattle, deer, giraffes, antelopes, Okapi)
Ungulate – A hoofed mammal (i.e., goats, sheep, cattle, pigs, donkeys, zebras)
Feathered Glossary
Avian –Bird
Cere – The fleshy part of a bird’s head covering the base of the upper beak
Cholecalciferol – the avian term for vitamin D3
Crop – Also known as the ingluvies. An expandable pouch in a bird’s throat at the base of the esophagus where excess food is stored and digestion begins
Fledgling – A young bird with newly developed flight feathers
Ornithologist – A person who studies birds
Poultry – Domestic birds raised for meat and eggs (i.e., chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, quail)
Raptor – A predatory bird (i.e., owl, hawk, eagle, falcon, kestrels, vultures)
Wattle – A piece of flesh hanging from an animal’s head or neck
Creepy Crawly & Slimy Glossary
Arachnid – A terrestrial invertebrate arthropod (i.e., spiders, ticks, scorpions, mites)
Arachnophobia – An extreme fear of spiders
Arthropod – An invertebrate with an exoskeleton and a segmented body and jointed limbs (i.e., crustaceans, insects, spiders, cockroaches, centipedes)
Entomology – The study of insects
Invertebrate – An animal without a backbone or spine (i.e., sea sponges, centipedes, ants, grasshoppers, butterflies, spiders, worms)
Metamorphosis – The transformation of a body in two distinct times (i.e., caterpillar to butterfly, maggots to flies, tadpoles to frogs)
Aquatic Glossary
Actinotrichia – While not completely understood by scientists, it is thought that they are spines in an aquatic animal’s embryo that are believed to play a part in fin formation and give structural support to the fins
Adipose Fin – Small fin located on the top of the back between the dorsal fin and caudal fin
Anal Fin – Fin located on the belly between the pelvic fins and the anus
Aquatic – Animals that live in water (i.e., fish, marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, starfish)
Cartilaginous Fish – Fish with a skeleton made of cartilage (i.e., skates, sharks, rays)
Caudal Fin – Also known as tail fins. Fins that help keep the posterior end of the fish afloat
Crustacean – An invertebrate that lives in water (i.e., lobsters, shrimp, crabs, krill, crayfish, barnacles)
Dorsal Fin – Large fin located on the center of the back
Echinoderms – An invertebrate that lives in water (i.e., starfish, sea cucumber, sea urchins)
Gills – Respiratory organs found on both sides of an aquatic animal’s head, usually at its neck. The gills are made of capillaries (small blood vessels). When water moves over the gills, the capillaries absorb oxygen from the water
Heterocercal – When the tail fins are asymmetrical (or not similar)
Homocercal – When the tail fins are symmetrical (or similar)
Ichthyology – The study of fish
Lateral Line – A visible line along the side of a fish consisting of neuromasts
Lepidotrichia – Bony fish fins
Neuromasts – Sensory cells located along the lateral line that help aquatic animals detect pressure and vibration disturbances in the water
Operculum – A flap that covers the gills that opens and closes to push water over the gills
Osteichthyes – Fish with a skeleton made of bones – (i.e., salmon, tropical reef clownfish, freshwater eels, swordfish, deep water anglerfish)
Paired Fins – Identical fins on both sides of an aquatic animal
Pectoral Fin – Fins located on both sides of a fish near its gills
Pelvic Fin – Fins on the belly close to the posterior (tail) end
Physostomous Swim Bladders – Swim bladders that are attached to the digestive system. Fish with physostomous swim bladders get oxygen by gulping air to inflate their swim bladders
Swim Bladder – A gas-filled organ that is protected by the animals’ skeleton that helps a fish stay buoyant in the water
This glossary was researched, written, and edited entirely by a human, without using AI generated content or research. It was last updated on 10/13/23.