Lizard Glossary

Ambient Temperature—The overall temperature of the air within an enclosure, room or other space.

Arboreal—Species that live in trees.

Arid—A very dry place with little to no humidity.

Basking—Resting under a strong heat source to warm up.

Captive Raised—An animal that was born and raised in captivity, as opposed to caught in the wild.

Carnivore/Carnivorous—Animals that eat a diet of meat, such as other animals, fish and/or insects.

Conditioned Water—Tap water that has had the chlorine removed using a water conditioner.

Defecate—To excrete solid waste.

Diurnal—Active during daylight hours.

Dorsal—On or near the top of the body.

Dripper—A device made to allow drops of water to fall as often as needed.

Ectotherm—A living creature that cannot generate its own body heat and must rely on external heat sources like the sun to regulate body temperature and metabolism.

Femoral Pores—Openings located on the underside of lizards near the vent area. Pores are larger in males than females in some lizard species.

Full Spectrum Bulb—An artificial light source that emits the same spectrum as sunlight.

Gut-Loaded—An insect or worm that has been fed supplements, such as calcium and vitamins, to make them more nutritious as reptile food.

Herbivores/Herbivorous—Animals that eat a diet made up exclusively of plants and other vegetative matter.

Humidifier—A machine that increases humidity or moisture content in the air.

Hygrometer—An instrument used to measures the humidity or moisture content in the air.

Lesions—Spots of damage to the skin, an organ or other tissue

Omnivores/Omnivorous—Animals that eat plants and other vegetation, as well as meat, including animals, fish and/or insects.

Oviparous—Producing eggs that hatch after leaving the body.

Prolapse—Falling or slipping of a body part from its usually position. In reptiles, a rectal prolapse occurs when tissue protrudes from the anal vent.

Nocturnal—Active during the nighttime.

Prehensile Tail—A tail that is long and used for gripping or climbing.

Salmonella—A bacterial disease that can be transmitted from reptiles to people.

Semi-Aquatic—An animal that lives both in the water and on the land.

Substrate—Any material used on the bottom of an animal enclosure as bedding.

Sub-Tropical—An environment that is fairly humid and warm, but not as hot or wet as a tropical area.

Temperature Gradient—A range of temperatures provided in different areas of an enclosure.

Thermostatic Control—A heating unit sensor that can be set to automatically adjust the temperature to be hotter or cooler.

Ultraviolet B (UVB) Bulb—An artificial light source that emits Ultraviolet B light waves that allow diurnal reptiles to absorb calcium properly.

Vent—The opening under the tail where feces comes out.

Viviparous—Giving birth to live young. More correctly referred to as “Ovoviviparous,” since eggs hatch inside the mother’s body so young are born live.