​Glossary

Arboreal — Living above ground, especially in trees.

Axil — The point where leaves attach to he stem.

Bilobed — Split into two rounded divisions

Calcareous — A hard, brittle shell containing calcium carbonate.

Camouflage — Concealing coloration or pattern.

Chaparral — Dry scrublands of southern California and other dry, Mediterranean-type climates.

Communal — Sharing resources, such as egg-laying sites.

Crepuscular — Active at twilight.

Dewlap — The extendable, often brightly colored flap of skin under the chin of Anoles and some other lizards. Used in territorial and other social displays.

Diurnal — Active by day.

Dorsal — The back surface of the body.

Environment — The conditions under which an organism lives, both living and non-living.

Exfoliating — Flaking or splitting away in large sheets.

Extirpate — To eliminate a species over a portion of its total range.

Habitat — The place or environment in which a species or group of species live. (e. g. rainforest, chaparral, marsh, etc.)

Hibernation — Dormant condition reached by some animals in response to prolonged cold conditions.

Imbricate — Overlapping, like roof shingles.

Insectivore — An animal that feeds primarily on insects.

Invertebrate — An animal that lacks a backbone.

Keeled — A raised ridge or crease along a scale.

Lamella, Lamellae — A series of tiny soft transverse plates covering the expanded toepads of many geckos and some other lizards. These plates are responsible for these lizards ability to cling to smooth vertical or overhanging surfaces.

Lateral — The side surface to the body.

Life-zone — One of a series of distinct local habitats which change in response to temperature or other environmental changes.

Lineate — A pattern of numerous long thin lines or bands.

Membrane — A thin layer of tissue.

Microhabitat — The precise conditions within a habitat where a species is normally found. (e.g. under bark, in leaf litter, etc.)

Nocturnal — Active at night.

Parthenogenic — Producing living offspring from eggs which have not been fertilized. Often found in species which consist of only females.

Pre-anal — The ventral surface of the body just ahead of the vent or cloaca (excretory opening of the body).

Scansorial — An animal which commonly climbs.

Species, sp — A group of organisms which resemble each other and can interbreed with each other.

Spectacle — A clear transparent protective scale covering the eye and taking the place of eyelids.

Subspecies — A geographically restricted variety or race of a species which has been recognized with a formal description and Latin name.

Subtropical — A region of warm climate bordering on the tropics.

Terrestrial — Living on the ground.

Territorial — Living in a particular piece of habitat.

TL — Total Length, the straight line measure from snout tip to the end of the tail.

Toepad — A fleshy expanded area on the undersurface of the toe. In geckos it is covered with a fine series of plates covered with microscopic hairs which give the lizards the ability to cling to smooth vertical surfaces.

Tubercle — A pointed or wart-like projection on the skin.

Uni-sexual — A species or population consisting of only females, capable of producing living offspring from unfertilized eggs.

Venomous — Capable of producing a toxic substance and introducing it into another animal usually by bite or sting. The venom is used to immobilize prey or in defense.

Ventral — The belly or under surface of the body.

Vertebrate — An animal with a backbone.

​Whorl — A symmetrical series of scales encircling the tail.