A

Arboreal - Living fully or partly in the trees.

Aquatic - Lives in water.

B

Baleen - A fibrous substance used by some whales for filtering food from water. Baleen grows in the form                of plates with frayed edges, which hang from the whale's upper jaw. The baleen plates trap food                which the whale then swallows.

C

Carrion - The remains of dead animals

D

Delayed Implantation - In mammals, a delay between fertilization of an egg and the subsequent                                        development of an embryo. This delay allows birth to occur when conditions are                                        favorable for raising young.

Diurnal - Active during the day.

E

Echolocation - A method of sensing nearby objects using pulses of high frequency sound. Echoes bounce                          back from objects and other animals, allowing hate sender to build up a "picture" of its                          surroundings. Echolocation is used by several groups of animals, including mammals and a                          small number of cave dwelling birds.

F

Flipper - A paddle shaped limb in aquatic animals.

G

Gestation Period - In mammals, the interval between fertilization and birth, when the developing young is nourished by the mother via the placenta.

H

Herbivore - An animal that feeds on plants or plant-like plankton.

Hibernation - A period of dormancy in winter. When hibernating an animal's body processes drop to a low                        level.

I

Insectivore - An animal that feeds on insects. It can also be used in a more restricted sense, to mean                      animals in the order insectivora.

J

K

Keratin - A tough structural protein found in hair, claws and horns.

L

Lek - A communal display area used by male animals, particularly birds, during courtship. The same area          is often used for many years.

M

Migration - A journey to a different region, following a well defined route. Most animals that migrate do so                    in step with seasons, so they can take advantage of good breeding conditions in one place,                    and good wintering ones in another.

N

Nocturnal - Active at night

O

Oviparous - Reproducing by laying eggs.

Ovoviviparous - reproducing with eggs that hatch as they are laid or soon afterwards. In an ovoviviparous                            animal, the eggs are retained inside the mothers' body while they develop. The egg                            contains all the nutrients that the embryo needs, and there is no direct connection between                            it and the mother.

P

Predator - An animal that catches and kills others, known as its prey. Some predators catch their prey by                   lying in wait, but most actively pursue and attack other animals.

Prehensile - Able to curl around objects and grip them

Prey - An animal that is eaten by a predator.

Q

Quadrupedal - Moving on all 4 legs.

R

Rutting Season - In deer, a period during the breeding season when males clash with each other for the                              opportunity to mate.

S

Scute - A shield-like plate or scale that forms a bony covering on some animals.

T

Terrestrial - Living wholly or mainly on the ground.

U

Underfur - The dense fur that makes up the innermost part of an mammal's coat. Underfur is usually soft                   and is a good insulator.

V

Viviparous - reproducing by giving birth to live young.

W

Weaning - In mammals, the period when the mother gradually ceases to provide milk for her young.

X

Xylophagous - Wood eating.

Y


Z