Acclimation - To Acclimate. To adjust to new conditions or an environment. An example of acclimation is the adjustment of your reptile
to get used to its new conditions and environment.
Allele - either of the two paired genes which affect an inheritable trait.
Amelanistic - having no melanin
Brumation - Brumate. This is a semi-hibernation state in which a reptile sleeps a majority of the time, and eats very little.
Carnivorous - Carnivore. If your reptile or amphibian is carnivorous, then they eat live or dead animals or insects. They are predators.
CHE - Ceramic Heat Emitter. These heaters screw into a light bulb socket, but give off no light. Good source of heat for your reptile at
night when the lights are off.
Cloaca - The hole which is also known as the vent. Contains genitals, urinary and intestines.
Clutch - A clutch is an amount of eggs laid at one time.
Clutch Size - The number of eggs laid in a clutch.
Coccidia - A single cell organism that can infest your reptiles (or other pets) intestines. Its a microscopic parasite that may cause watery
stools, bloody stools, or extremely smelly stools. This is very common in Bearded Dragons. The usual treatment for reptiles is by using
Albon that is prescribed by your veterinarian.
Coccidiosis - A parasitic disease. Possible signs of coccidiosis infection (or other parasitic infections) may include smelly stools, the
infected reptile being lethargic, diarrhea, mucus or blood in your reptiles feces, decrease or loss of appetite, loss in weight. If you
experience any of the above get a stool sample to the vet to be on the safe side. Coccidosis can also be brought on due to stress and
overcrowding, which can in turn reduce the immune system.
Codominant - a gene that causes the homozygous form to look different than the wild-type and the heterozygous form to have traits of
both.
Cold-Blooded - Ectotherm. Means that your reptile regulates its body heat by its surroundings. It can not regulate its body heat
themselves. An example of this would be a reptile laying under a heat lamp absorbing the heat.
D3 - Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) helps mediate calcium absorption and bone calcium metabolism and is considered more stable than
Vitamin D2. Vitamin D deficiency can occur in individuals who do not get sufficient sunlight exposure.
Diurnal - If your reptile or amphibian is diurnal, this means that they are active during the day.
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) - molecules bearing genetic information of all living cells. Gene. Also referred to as “unit of inheritance.”
Dorsal Referring to features on the back or along the spine of the animal.
Ectotherm - Means that your reptile regulates its body heat by its surroundings. An example of this would be a reptile laying under a
heat lamp absorbing the heat.
Emaciate - Become extremely thin, especially as a result of self-starvation or illness.
Endothermic - This would mean your reptile would regulate its own heat and is not so dependent on it surroundings.
Feces - Feces is waste matter(poop/excrement) that is released from the bowels.
Femoral Pores - Plugs on the inside thigh of a reptile. Males plugs are generally larger then females plugs. Females plugs are small to
non-existent.
Genetics - the study of heredity.
Gestation - Gestation Period. The period of time between actual mating and the birth of the reptiles babies.
Gravid - Gravid means your reptile or amphibian is carrying young or eggs. Basically put your reptile or amphibian is pregnant.
Habitat - The natural environment in which your reptile or amphibian would naturally live in.
Hemipenes - The hemipenes is the male reptiles reproduction organ.
Herbivorous - Herbivore. If your reptile or amphibian is herbivorous, then it eats only plants and vegetation.
Husbandry - The raising and/or breeding of animals
Het – an abbreviation for heterozygous.
Heterozygous - possessing two different genes for a given trait. An animal with one mutated, recessive gene still appears normal; its
mutated gene can be inherited by future offspring. A codominant animal is heterozygous for the dominant form of its mutated gene, yet is
different in appearance than both the wild-type and homozygous forms.
Herpetology - Herpetology is the study of reptiles and amphibians.
Homozygous - A state in which both genes for a specific trait are the same. When a recessive gene is it its homozygous form, it makes
the animal look different from the wild-type. When a dominant gene is in its homozygous state, it causes the animal to look different from
both the wild-type and the heterozygous (codominant) forms.
Hypomelanistic - an animal having less black and/or brown color than a wild-type.
Insectivorous - Insectivore. If your reptile or amphibian is insectivorous, then it eats mainly insects.
Leucistic - a pure white animal with dark eyes.
Melanin - black or brown skin pigments.
Melanistic - abnormally dark, especially due to an increase of melanin.
Mutation - an abnormal gene that under certain circumstances can cause an animal to be born with an appearance other than wild-type.
Necrotic - Necrosis is why the cells or tissues die.
Nocturnal - If your reptile or amphibian is nocturnal, this means they are active during the night.
Normal - an animal with no mutated genes - "wild type" in appearance. (See wild type)
Omnivorous - Omnivore. If your reptile or amphibian is omnivorous, then it eats both plant and animal foods.
Oocyst - An egg-like structure found in feces that is used to transport a parasite to a new host. Ultimately these parasites invade the
cell linings of the intestines.
Oviparous - This means your reptile or amphibian lays eggs that will hatch. An example of this would be a bearded dragon or leopard
gecko.
Ovoviviparous - This means your reptile or amphibian produces eggs that hatch inside its body. An example of this would be monkey-
tail skinks.
Oxalates - When Oxalic Acid combines with calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium, or potassium it forms salt crystals called Oxalates.
Oxalates naturally in plants.
Oxalic Acid - Oxalic Acid is a toxic organic acid that are found in plants. Oxalate Acid binds with nutrients which prevents your reptile
from getting important nutrients. In turn Oxalic Acid binding with the nutrients form Oxalates.
Palpate - To examine or explore by touching (an organ or area of the body), usually as a diagnostic aid.
Parasite - An animal that lives inside another plant or animal living off that plant or animals nutrients. Examples of parasites are
pinworms, tapeworms, coccidia, etc.
Parietal Eye - "A third eye", although not a real eye. It is supposedly a photo sensitive eye telling your reptile if it is day or night and
controls their internal clock. There is still alot of research being done on this, but that is basically what I have gotten out of what a
parietal eye is.
Pogona Vitticeps - Inland bearded dragon
Possible Het. - an animal from a known breeding that has either a 50% or 66% possibility of being "heterozygous" for a mutant gene.
A 66% possible het comes from breeding 2 heterozygous animals together: 50% of the offspring are heterozygous, 25% will be
homozygous, and 25% will be wild-type. Of the normal appearing animals, 66% (or roughly 2 out of 3) will actually be heterozygous for
the mutated gene.
A 50% possible het comes from breeding a heterozygous animal to a wild-type animal. All of the resulting offspring will be wild-type in
appearance, but 50% of them will actually be heterozygous for the mutated gene and must be bred out to determine which animals are
really hets.
Predator - If your reptile or amphibian is a predator, that means if feeds off other animals and organisms.
Recessive - a gene that affects an animal's appearance if it's present in the homozygous state. A heterozygous animal carrying a
mutated, recessive gene looks normal.
Sexing - To determine the sex of (an organism), The property or quality by which organisms are classified as female or male on the
basis of their reproductive organs and functions.
Scales - Protective plates that cover a reptiles body.
Semi-Aquatic - If your reptile is semi-aquatic, this means your reptile lives on land and in the water.
Sexual Dimorphism - This means that there are feature differences between male and female reptiles or amphibians.
STL - Snout to Tail Length. This means you are measuring from the tip of your reptiles nose to the tip of it's tail.
Stool - A stool is fecal matter from a bowel movement of your reptile.
Stool Sample - A stool sample is a piece of fecal matter that you bring to the vet to have checked for parasites etc. Also note that you
should bring as fresh of a stool sample as you can, or at least refrigerate it if you can't get it to the vet within a couple of hours.
Super - commonly used herpetocultural term for the dominant form of a co-dominant mutation. i.e. Super Pastel
SVL - Snout to Vent Length. This means you are measuring from the tip of your reptiles nose to its vent located on the underside at the
base of a lizards tail.
Terrarium - This is an enclosure in which you would keep your reptiles or amphibians in.
Tyrosinase - an enzyme required for synthesizing melanin.
Tyrosinase-negative - an albino whose cells lack tyrosinase, producing a white and yellow/orange animal with pink eyes. A separate
albino mutation from tyrosinase-positive. Also called T- .
Tyrosinase-positive - an albino not able to synthesize melanin, but capable of synthesizing tyrosinase, which results in lavender-brown
skin color. Also referred to as T+ .
UVA - visible range. Used for promoting regular habits in reptiles such as eating, breeding, etc.
UVB - The non-visible range. Helps synthesis of vitamin D3 and processes calcium.
UVC - The non-visible range. Used to kill bacteria.
Vent - The vent is a slit on the underside of a reptile at the base of it's tail. This is from where feces and sexual organs come out from.
Technical name is cloaca.
Ventral - Ventral is referring to the stomach area.
Veterinarian - A Vet. A person that is skilled in diseases and care of animals. Some veterinarians are skilled in caring for reptiles also.
Vitamin D3 - (cholecalciferol) helps mediate calcium absorption and bone calcium metabolism and is considered more stable than
Vitamin D2.
Vitamin D deficiency can occur in individuals who do not get sufficient sunlight exposure.
Vivarium - An enclosure for raising animals that replicate their natural environment.
Viviparous - To give birth to a live reptile or amphibian.
Voracious - If your reptile or amphibian has a voracious appetite, that means that it readily consumes its food in a greedy fashion.
Warm-Blooded - Endothermic. This would mean your reptile would regulate its own heat and is not so dependent on it surroundings.
Wild-type - the way the animal usually looks in nature (i.e. the normal color and pattern).
to get used to its new conditions and environment.
Allele - either of the two paired genes which affect an inheritable trait.
Amelanistic - having no melanin
Brumation - Brumate. This is a semi-hibernation state in which a reptile sleeps a majority of the time, and eats very little.
Carnivorous - Carnivore. If your reptile or amphibian is carnivorous, then they eat live or dead animals or insects. They are predators.
CHE - Ceramic Heat Emitter. These heaters screw into a light bulb socket, but give off no light. Good source of heat for your reptile at
night when the lights are off.
Cloaca - The hole which is also known as the vent. Contains genitals, urinary and intestines.
Clutch - A clutch is an amount of eggs laid at one time.
Clutch Size - The number of eggs laid in a clutch.
Coccidia - A single cell organism that can infest your reptiles (or other pets) intestines. Its a microscopic parasite that may cause watery
stools, bloody stools, or extremely smelly stools. This is very common in Bearded Dragons. The usual treatment for reptiles is by using
Albon that is prescribed by your veterinarian.
Coccidiosis - A parasitic disease. Possible signs of coccidiosis infection (or other parasitic infections) may include smelly stools, the
infected reptile being lethargic, diarrhea, mucus or blood in your reptiles feces, decrease or loss of appetite, loss in weight. If you
experience any of the above get a stool sample to the vet to be on the safe side. Coccidosis can also be brought on due to stress and
overcrowding, which can in turn reduce the immune system.
Codominant - a gene that causes the homozygous form to look different than the wild-type and the heterozygous form to have traits of
both.
Cold-Blooded - Ectotherm. Means that your reptile regulates its body heat by its surroundings. It can not regulate its body heat
themselves. An example of this would be a reptile laying under a heat lamp absorbing the heat.
D3 - Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) helps mediate calcium absorption and bone calcium metabolism and is considered more stable than
Vitamin D2. Vitamin D deficiency can occur in individuals who do not get sufficient sunlight exposure.
Diurnal - If your reptile or amphibian is diurnal, this means that they are active during the day.
DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid) - molecules bearing genetic information of all living cells. Gene. Also referred to as “unit of inheritance.”
Dorsal Referring to features on the back or along the spine of the animal.
Ectotherm - Means that your reptile regulates its body heat by its surroundings. An example of this would be a reptile laying under a
heat lamp absorbing the heat.
Emaciate - Become extremely thin, especially as a result of self-starvation or illness.
Endothermic - This would mean your reptile would regulate its own heat and is not so dependent on it surroundings.
Feces - Feces is waste matter(poop/excrement) that is released from the bowels.
Femoral Pores - Plugs on the inside thigh of a reptile. Males plugs are generally larger then females plugs. Females plugs are small to
non-existent.
Genetics - the study of heredity.
Gestation - Gestation Period. The period of time between actual mating and the birth of the reptiles babies.
Gravid - Gravid means your reptile or amphibian is carrying young or eggs. Basically put your reptile or amphibian is pregnant.
Habitat - The natural environment in which your reptile or amphibian would naturally live in.
Hemipenes - The hemipenes is the male reptiles reproduction organ.
Herbivorous - Herbivore. If your reptile or amphibian is herbivorous, then it eats only plants and vegetation.
Husbandry - The raising and/or breeding of animals
Het – an abbreviation for heterozygous.
Heterozygous - possessing two different genes for a given trait. An animal with one mutated, recessive gene still appears normal; its
mutated gene can be inherited by future offspring. A codominant animal is heterozygous for the dominant form of its mutated gene, yet is
different in appearance than both the wild-type and homozygous forms.
Herpetology - Herpetology is the study of reptiles and amphibians.
Homozygous - A state in which both genes for a specific trait are the same. When a recessive gene is it its homozygous form, it makes
the animal look different from the wild-type. When a dominant gene is in its homozygous state, it causes the animal to look different from
both the wild-type and the heterozygous (codominant) forms.
Hypomelanistic - an animal having less black and/or brown color than a wild-type.
Insectivorous - Insectivore. If your reptile or amphibian is insectivorous, then it eats mainly insects.
Leucistic - a pure white animal with dark eyes.
Melanin - black or brown skin pigments.
Melanistic - abnormally dark, especially due to an increase of melanin.
Mutation - an abnormal gene that under certain circumstances can cause an animal to be born with an appearance other than wild-type.
Necrotic - Necrosis is why the cells or tissues die.
Nocturnal - If your reptile or amphibian is nocturnal, this means they are active during the night.
Normal - an animal with no mutated genes - "wild type" in appearance. (See wild type)
Omnivorous - Omnivore. If your reptile or amphibian is omnivorous, then it eats both plant and animal foods.
Oocyst - An egg-like structure found in feces that is used to transport a parasite to a new host. Ultimately these parasites invade the
cell linings of the intestines.
Oviparous - This means your reptile or amphibian lays eggs that will hatch. An example of this would be a bearded dragon or leopard
gecko.
Ovoviviparous - This means your reptile or amphibian produces eggs that hatch inside its body. An example of this would be monkey-
tail skinks.
Oxalates - When Oxalic Acid combines with calcium, iron, sodium, magnesium, or potassium it forms salt crystals called Oxalates.
Oxalates naturally in plants.
Oxalic Acid - Oxalic Acid is a toxic organic acid that are found in plants. Oxalate Acid binds with nutrients which prevents your reptile
from getting important nutrients. In turn Oxalic Acid binding with the nutrients form Oxalates.
Palpate - To examine or explore by touching (an organ or area of the body), usually as a diagnostic aid.
Parasite - An animal that lives inside another plant or animal living off that plant or animals nutrients. Examples of parasites are
pinworms, tapeworms, coccidia, etc.
Parietal Eye - "A third eye", although not a real eye. It is supposedly a photo sensitive eye telling your reptile if it is day or night and
controls their internal clock. There is still alot of research being done on this, but that is basically what I have gotten out of what a
parietal eye is.
Pogona Vitticeps - Inland bearded dragon
Possible Het. - an animal from a known breeding that has either a 50% or 66% possibility of being "heterozygous" for a mutant gene.
A 66% possible het comes from breeding 2 heterozygous animals together: 50% of the offspring are heterozygous, 25% will be
homozygous, and 25% will be wild-type. Of the normal appearing animals, 66% (or roughly 2 out of 3) will actually be heterozygous for
the mutated gene.
A 50% possible het comes from breeding a heterozygous animal to a wild-type animal. All of the resulting offspring will be wild-type in
appearance, but 50% of them will actually be heterozygous for the mutated gene and must be bred out to determine which animals are
really hets.
Predator - If your reptile or amphibian is a predator, that means if feeds off other animals and organisms.
Recessive - a gene that affects an animal's appearance if it's present in the homozygous state. A heterozygous animal carrying a
mutated, recessive gene looks normal.
Sexing - To determine the sex of (an organism), The property or quality by which organisms are classified as female or male on the
basis of their reproductive organs and functions.
Scales - Protective plates that cover a reptiles body.
Semi-Aquatic - If your reptile is semi-aquatic, this means your reptile lives on land and in the water.
Sexual Dimorphism - This means that there are feature differences between male and female reptiles or amphibians.
STL - Snout to Tail Length. This means you are measuring from the tip of your reptiles nose to the tip of it's tail.
Stool - A stool is fecal matter from a bowel movement of your reptile.
Stool Sample - A stool sample is a piece of fecal matter that you bring to the vet to have checked for parasites etc. Also note that you
should bring as fresh of a stool sample as you can, or at least refrigerate it if you can't get it to the vet within a couple of hours.
Super - commonly used herpetocultural term for the dominant form of a co-dominant mutation. i.e. Super Pastel
SVL - Snout to Vent Length. This means you are measuring from the tip of your reptiles nose to its vent located on the underside at the
base of a lizards tail.
Terrarium - This is an enclosure in which you would keep your reptiles or amphibians in.
Tyrosinase - an enzyme required for synthesizing melanin.
Tyrosinase-negative - an albino whose cells lack tyrosinase, producing a white and yellow/orange animal with pink eyes. A separate
albino mutation from tyrosinase-positive. Also called T- .
Tyrosinase-positive - an albino not able to synthesize melanin, but capable of synthesizing tyrosinase, which results in lavender-brown
skin color. Also referred to as T+ .
UVA - visible range. Used for promoting regular habits in reptiles such as eating, breeding, etc.
UVB - The non-visible range. Helps synthesis of vitamin D3 and processes calcium.
UVC - The non-visible range. Used to kill bacteria.
Vent - The vent is a slit on the underside of a reptile at the base of it's tail. This is from where feces and sexual organs come out from.
Technical name is cloaca.
Ventral - Ventral is referring to the stomach area.
Veterinarian - A Vet. A person that is skilled in diseases and care of animals. Some veterinarians are skilled in caring for reptiles also.
Vitamin D3 - (cholecalciferol) helps mediate calcium absorption and bone calcium metabolism and is considered more stable than
Vitamin D2.
Vitamin D deficiency can occur in individuals who do not get sufficient sunlight exposure.
Vivarium - An enclosure for raising animals that replicate their natural environment.
Viviparous - To give birth to a live reptile or amphibian.
Voracious - If your reptile or amphibian has a voracious appetite, that means that it readily consumes its food in a greedy fashion.
Warm-Blooded - Endothermic. This would mean your reptile would regulate its own heat and is not so dependent on it surroundings.
Wild-type - the way the animal usually looks in nature (i.e. the normal color and pattern).
To submit a word that isn't in the Bearded
Dragon Dictionary click here
Dragon Dictionary click here
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I know when you are first learning about Bearded Dragons it can be confusing and frustrating with the whole new language and terms that
people are using that you don't see, speak or read in every day activities. To help you along I have developed "The Bearded Dragon
Dictionary" for the most common terms that people like yourselves may not be familiar with...
people are using that you don't see, speak or read in every day activities. To help you along I have developed "The Bearded Dragon
Dictionary" for the most common terms that people like yourselves may not be familiar with...
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