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

Niche
The relational position of a species in an ecosystem.

Nocturnal
Active at night.

Nuchals
Relating to the large scales of the nape.

Neonate
A newly born individual of a species.

Neotype
A specimen later selected to serve as the single type specimen when an original holotype has been lost or destroyed, or where the original author never cited a specimen.

Native
An animal or plant species which occurs naturally within a country. Also known as an indigenous species.

Nape
The dorsal surface at back of head.

Nasal scales
The scales where the nostrils are located.

Mustelids
A group of predatory mammals of the genera Mustela (stoats, ferrets and weasels).

Mutualist
Organisms living together in mutually beneficial association.

Morphology
External aspects of an organism, including size, shape, proportions, scales, colour. Morphometric data add a quantitative element to descriptions and can be used to make comparisons with other species.

Morphocline
Quantitative change in a species’ morphology across its range associated with geographical, ecological or other factors.

Monophyletic
A taxonomic group is monophyletic if it consists of a common ancestor and all its descendants.

MSR
Midbody scale rows, a count of midbody scales.

Microhabitat
The immediate surroundings and other physical factors of an individual animal within its habitat.

Miocene
A geological period 20-10 mya.

Minimum viable population
The minimum number of individuals necessary to prevent a population from losing genetic variation or suffering stochastic extinction over a defined period of time.

Mid-dorsal
Refers to the area along the spine and tail.

Midbody scales
The scales counted along an oblique line around the midbody.

Metapopulation
A metapopulation consists of a group of spatially separated populations that interact at some level. The development of metapopulation theory, in conjunction with the development of source-sink dynamics, emphasises the importance of connectivity between seemingly isolated populations. The theory assumes that although no single population may be able to guarantee the long-term survival of a species, the combined effect of many populations will increase probability of persistence of a species.

Life expectancy
Lifespan of an animal. Usually recorded as the maximum length of life recorded for a species.

Loreal scales
The medium scales along the lateral side of the head between the nostril and eye, in skinks.

Locality
Location in which a species has been recorded.

Mating system
Information on how an individual of either sex of a species selects a mate, or a number of mates.

Mental scale
The large scale near the tip of chin, in skinks.

Life history strategy
Life history strategies are usually generalised by the r/K selection theory. An r-selection strategy is the production of a large number of offspring (of which a small proportion may survive) as early in life as possible. The K-selection strategy is to produce a smaller number of 'fitter' offspring with higher survival chances later. Examples of life history characteristics include

Limiting factor
A factor which controls processes such as population size, growth or distribution in a specific area. This may be availability of food or shelter, or predation pressure.

Lectotype
For species originally described from a set of syntypes, most of the existing syntypes are gradually being replaced by lectotypes. A lectotype is the single specimen selected from among the syntypes to serve as the only name-bearing type specimen, and is formally designated as such. Having a single name-bearing type reduces the potential for confusion, especially considering that it is not uncommon for a series of syntypes to contain specimens of more than one species.

Labial
Of the lips, usually refering to scales bordering the lips, which are divided into supralabials (upper) and infralabials (lower).

LENZ
See Land Environments of New Zealand

Land Environments of New Zealand
An ecological classification using climatic and landform factors.

Land status
A generalisation of the land management type within a species' known distribution, e.g. national parks or private land.

Lamellar pad
The broad, flat portion of a gecko’s toe, under which the lamellae are situated.

Lamellae
Scales along the underside of the digits.

Laterodorsal
Refers to the junction between the dorsal and lateral surfaces. Usually a term used to describe colour striping or patterning in the area.

Lateral
Refers to the sides of an animal.

Lateroventral
Refers to the junction between the lateral and ventral surfaces. Usually a term used to describe colour striping or patterning in the area.

Juvenile
Young animal that has not matured.

Keel
A narrow raised ridge on individual scales or a low crest or other longitudinal flange. Usually in reference to keeled scales on the tail of some skinks.

Insectivore
An animal whose diet includes insects.

Infralabial scales
Scales along the lower lip of lizards.

Indigenous
An animal or plant species which occurs naturally within a country. Also known as a native species.

Indet.
Indeterminate, usually applied to individuals or populations which cannot be readily assigned to a species.

Interactive species
Other lizard species that a species interacts with.

Intraspecific interactions
Interactions between individuals of the same species in a community, e.g. territorial behaviour.

Intraspecific competition
Competition between individuals of the same species in a community for resources.

Interparietal scale
The large middle scale at the top of the head, in between the parietals, in skinks.

Interspecific competition
Competition between (populations of) two species for one or more of the same resources. Interspecific competition may inhibit population growth and structure communities.

Intrinsic vulnerability
The biological characters or traits which put a species at an elevated risk of extinction, such as behaviour, fecundity or longevity.

Holotype
A single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used to formally describe a species. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration), or one of several such that has been explicitly designated as the holotype. Holotypes act as a reference point for taxonomic work.

Ice Age
Numerous ice ages have occurred, but this term usually refers to the last great Ice Age (2.4 mya to 10 kya).

Introduced species
A species not native to New Zealand, but having established here by anthropogenic means.

Intrinsic rate of increase
A species' inherent capacity to reproduce.

Homogeneous scales
Refers to the condition where scales are similar.

Home range
The spatial extent or outside boundary of an animal's movement during the course of its everyday activities.

Habitat
The place or environmental situation in which an animal lives.

Heterogeneous scales
Refers to the condition where scales differ in size and/or shape.

Heliothermic
Directly basking in the heat of the sun to obtain warmth.

Herpetofauna
Amphibian and reptile fauna.

Herpetology
The study of the amphibian and reptile fauna.

Gular scales
Smaller scales behind the chinshields, in skinks.

Haematoparasite
Blood parasite, usually transmitted between hosts by other parasites.

Growth rates
The rate of growth for an individual to maturity.

Gravid
Carrying eggs or developing young within the body, i.e. pregnant.

Geographic variation
The concept of having distinct regional forms of a specific species.

Genus
A taxonomic grouping of similar species more similar to each other than to other species.

Gene flow
The gain or loss of alleles from a population by movement of individuals or gametes into or out of the population.

GenBank
The GenBank sequence database is an open-access, annotated collection of all publicly available nucleotide sequences and their protein translations. This database is produced at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) as part of the International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration, or INSDC.

Gestation and development
The state of carrying developing young within the female, i.e. being gravid.

Frontal scale
The large scale on the anterior of the head between the snout and eyes, in skinks.

Fungi
Any of numerous eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Fungi, which lack chlorophyll and vascular tissue and range in form from a single cell to a body mass of branched filamentous hyphae that often produce specialised fruiting bodies. Fungi live by decomposing or absorbing organic material in or on which they grow.

Frontoparietal scales
The large scales in front of the interparietal, in skinks.

Foraging strategy
Information on how a species searches for food resources.

Follicle
A cluster of cells which surround, protect and nourish a developing egg cell in the ovary and also secrete oestrogen.

Frontonasal scale
The large scale behind the rostral scale, in skinks.

Exotic
An animal or plant species foreign in a country or an ecosystem to which it may either have been accidentally or deliberately introduced to. Such species may have negative impacts on native species through predation, competition or disease. Also known as an introduced species.

Femoral pores
One or more pores beneath the thigh; usually more conspicuous in male geckos.

Fecundity
The capability of a female to produce young in abundance.

Epiphyte
A plant which perches on or hangs from a tree.

Epiphytic
A plant which perches on or hangs from a tree.

Etymology
The origin and history of names used to describe species.

Evolution
The process by which novel traits arise in populations and are passed from generation to generation. Its action over time theoretically explains the origin of new species and biological diversity.

Extinction
The ceasing of existence of a species, generally considered to occur upon the death of the last individual of the species.

Endoparasite
A parasite which lives within the body of its host, e.g. tapeworm.

Endemic
An animal or plant species found only in one country.

Elliptic
Usually relates to vertical pupils.

Entrez
The Entrez Global Query Cross-Database Search System is a powerful federated search engine, or web portal, that allows users to search many discrete science databases at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) website. Entrez Global Query is an integrated search and retrieval system that provides access to all databases simultaneously with a single query string and user interface. Entrez can efficiently retrieve related sequences, structures, and references. The Entrez system can provide views of gene and protein sequences and chromosome maps.

Ecological regions and districts
An earlier framework of classifying distinct ecological units, using climatic, geological, topographical and biological factors in New Zealand for the Protected Natural Areas Programme. Largely superceded by LENZ, but still useful.

Ecdydis
The action of shedding skin, or shed skin.

Ecological niche
A species' or population's relational role in the ecological community, i.e. the sum total of a species' use of the biotic and abiotic resources of its habitat.

Edge effect
Effect of juxtaposition of contrasting environments on a species, community or ecosystem.

Dorsolateral
Relating to the junction of the dorsal and lateral surfaces.

Dorsally depressed
Flattened from the top, creating an oval cross section in body. Some lizard species are also able to flatten themselves for maximum solar radiation when basking.

Dorsal
Relating to the back or upper surface.

Ectoparasite
A parasite which lives or feeds on the external surface of a host, e.g mite, ticks.

Ectotherm
Animals in which body temperature is largely determined by external temperature sources and controlled by behavioural means.

Dispersal
The movement of individuals from one place to another beyond typical home ranges. This movement may be either density dependent or density independent.

Diurno-nocturnal
Active in periods during both day and night.

Distal
Furthest from the body, away from the point of attachment.

Distal phalange
The narrow portion of a gecko’s toe, between the claw and lamellar pad.