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New Zealand Lizards - Lizard terms Category: Animals and Nature > Lizards Date & country: 04/08/2015, NZ Words: 250

s.s.
sensu stricto, in the strictest sense.

s.l.
sensu lato, in the broadest sense.

R-selection
The concept that in certain populations, life history is centred on producing many young with lower chances of survival. Compare with K-selection.

K-selection
The concept that in certain populations, life history is centred around producing relatively few young but with good chances of survival. Compare with r-selection.

VSR
Ventral scale rows, a count of ventral scales.

Ventral
The lower surfaces, or the scales on the belly.

Virus
A microscopic infectious agent that can reproduce only inside a host cell.

Viviparous
Giving birth to living young that develop within the mother's body rather than hatching from eggs. Young are born free-living.

Vicariance
Separation or division of a group of organisms via a geographic barrier, resulting in differentiation into new species.

Vent
The tranverse opening of the cloaca.

Vector
An organism that does not cause a specific disease itself, but spreads infection by conveying pathogens from one host to another.

Ventrolateral
Junction of the lateral and ventral sufaces.

Type specimen
The specimen used to describe a taxon.

Tympanum
Eardrum, visible externally on many lizards.

Type locality
The place where the type specimen was collected.

Trait
A genetically inherited feature of an organism, e.g. having brown or blue eyes.

Tubercle
A rounded or pointed projection, in reference to scale shape.

Tuberculate
Having tubercles.

Threatened species
A species listed in the Department of Conservation's current Threat Classification lists. Listed threatened species range from those that are classified as 'Critically Endangered' to 'Declining' and also include 'Data Deficient' species.

Thigmothermic
Absorbing heat by contact with warm surfaces, e.g. rock surfaces.

Translocation
The capture, transport and release or introduction of species from one location to another. Translocation as a tool is used to reduce the risk of a catastrophe to a species with a single population, to improve genetic heterogeneity of separated populations of a species, to aid the natural recovery of a species, or re-establish a species where barriers might prevent it from doing so naturally. It is also used to move a representative section of populations out of the way of development.

Terrestrial
Living on the ground surface.

Temporal scales
The large to medium scales behind the eye between the parietal and upper labial scales, in skinks. These scales are divided into three groups

Territorial behaviour
Behaviour in which an animal of a particular species may consistently defend any sociographical area against conspecifics (and, occasionally, animals of other species). Animals that defend territories in this way are referred to as territorial.

Tag name
A temporary name for an as-yet undescribed species considered to be a valid species based on the evidence available.

Taxonomy
The science of classifying organisms.

Tail annuli
Regular slight constrictions encircling tail, visible in scale pattern.

Sympatric
Where different species occur in overlapping geographical areas without interbreeding. For example, two species of a closely related taxon may share a geographic range, or parts of, but do not interbreed because they are distinct species.

Synonymy
List of names which a species has been recognised by in the past.

Syntopic
Where different species occur in the same place and in the same microhabitat, without interbreeding.

Subcutaneous water loss rate
The natural attrition rate of water through the skin.

Subdigital
Beneath the digit.

Subocular scales
One of a series of scales beneath the eye, both before (first subocular) and after (last subocular) the eye.

SVL
Snout–vent length; the standard length measurement for lizards.

Syntype
A syntype is any of two or more specimens listed in a species description where a holotype was not designated – a practice which was common historically. Those syntypes which have not been replaced are still considered name-bearing types.

Subspeciation
Development of regional populations which appear externally distinct in structure, physiology or behaviour, but not sufficiently so to be recognised as full species.

Subspecies
A regional population which is externally distinguishable in structure, physiology or behaviour from another population of the same species, yet capable of exchanging genes with another by interbreeding.

Subcaudal
Beneath the tail; often applies to scales.

Straition
Groove on the surface of a scale.

Survival
The act or process of surviving, or the fact of having survived.

Suture
The groove between non-overlapping scales.

Supraocular scales
A series of scales above the eye, in skinks.

Supralabial scales
Scales along the upper lip of lizards.

Supraciliary scales
Scales that form a fringe or ‘eyebrow’ above the eye.

Stochasticity
Demographical or genetic stochasity is where there is variation in the population structure or frequencies of alleles and genotypes in a population over time.

Speciation
The evolution or formation of a species.

Sink population
A population where the birth rate does not exceed the death rate at best.

Slough
The action of shedding skin, or shed skin. Also known as ecdysis.

Source population
A population where the birth rate exceeds the death rate, thus providing new individuals to other populations by dispersal.

Species
A group of similar organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring.

sensu
As defined by.

Size classes
Information on individual animal sizes by age up to maturity.

Setae
Microscopic hairs or bristles.

Sex ratio
The ratio of males to females in a population. The primary sex ratio is the ratio at the time of conception, secondary sex ratio is the ratio at time of birth, and tertiary sex ratio is the ratio of mature organisms.

Sexual dimorphism
Phenotypic differences between individuals or different sex in the same species.

Reproductive system
Information on whether a species is viviparous or oviparous.

Record
Refers either to a bibliographic reference or a block of information relating to a lizard species.

Recruitment
The process of adding further breeding individuals into a population.

Rostral scale
The large scale at the tip of the snout, in skinks.

Saxicolous
Rock-dwelling.

Precloacal pores
A series of pores, filled with a wax-like substance, situated in front of the cloaca, often extending to the ventral surfaces of hind limbs of geckos. Usually more developed in males.

Reticulated
Forming a net-like pattern or reticulum.

Resource partitioning
A subdivision of resources (such as space, food etc.) that minimises competition between similar species.

Relative abundance
Difference in abundance of a species within a community.

Preanal pore
One or more pores located at front of vent.

Prefrontal scales
The two scales on each side of the anterior dorso-lateral portion of the snout, between the frontonasal and frontal scales, in skinks.

Preferred temperature range
The temperature range at which a species has been recorded most active in.

Predator
An animal that hunts and kills other animals for food.

Preocular scale
Scales before the eye, in skinks.

Proximal
Nearest to the body, close to the point of attachment.

Polygyny
The mating system in which one male mates with more than one female.

Polyphyletic
A taxonomic group of organisms excluding their common ancestor.

Polyandry
The mating system in which one female mates with more than one male.

Podocarp
A type of conifer tree with sticky seeds. Examples of podocarps are rimu, kahikatea, miro, matai and totara.

Population
A group of individuals of the same species occupying a certain area and sharing a common gene pool.

Posterior
At or towards the rear.

Population growth rate
A measure of change in the population size, usually expressed as a percentage per year.

Postlabial scales
The scales at the end of the lips, behind the largest supralabial scale, in skinks.

Postocular
Scales behind the eye, in skinks.

Postmental scales
Large or medium scales behind the mental scale, in skinks.

Pliocene
A geological period 7-2 mya.

Phenotype
Any observable characteristic of an organism. Phenotypes result from the expression of an organism’s genes as well as the influence of environmental factors and possible interactions between the two. Phenotypic plasticity is the ability of the genotype to adapt its phenotype according to the environment.

Palberal disc
The transparent window in the lower eyelid of some lizards, especially skinks.

Phylogeny
Reconstructed evolutionary history and relationships of a group of organisms, usually expressed as a 'family tree'.

Physiology
The biological study of the functions of living cells, tissues and organs of organisms.

Phylogenetic clade
A group of very closely related populations within a phylogeny tree, which may be identified as a single species.

Paraphyletic
A taxonomic group of organisms which contain some but not all descendants of the most recent common ancestor.

Parietal scale
The two large scales at the back of the head of skinks.

Paratype
Any additional specimen other than the holotype, listed in the type series, where the original description designated a holotype. These are not name-bearing types.

Parasite
An organism which lives, reproduces or feeds on another organism for a significant portions of the parasite's life cycle.

Parapatric
Having distributions that may abut, but do not overlap, or having non-overlapping distributions with other similar, closely related species.

Parturition
The process leading to and including birth and expulsion of the afterbirth.

Pathogen
An infectious agent that causes disease or illness in its host.

Omnivore
An animal whose diet includes both animal and plants.

Ovulation
The process in the menstrual cycle by which a mature ovarian follicle ruptures and discharges an ovum (known as oocyte, female gamete or egg).

Oviparous
Lizards which reproduce by laying eggs.

Ovoviviparous
Lizards which reproduce by retaining eggs within the body but giving birth to live young.

Ovaries
The female reproductive glands in which the ova (or egg) is produced and develops.

Oligocene
A geological period 30-20 mya.

Ocelli
Eye-like, ring shaped spots.