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Glossary

Semi-desert:
This is the area at the edge of a desert where it borders a grassland or woodland.

Ungulate:
Animals that have hooves such as horses, rhinos, and tapirs.

Nocturnal :
When an animal sleeps during the day but becomes active at night.

Arboreal:
When an animal spends most of its time in the trees rather than on the ground.

Prehensile:
Used to describe something that is able to wrap around or grasp objects. Some monkeys have prehensile tails which they can use as a fifth limb to hold on to branches when climbing, leaving their hands free to hold food.

Fledge:
When a bird is old enough to fly away from the nest.

Matriarch:
If a group of animals has a female as their leader she is known as the matriarch of the group. Elephant herds have a matriarch.

Dominant & subordinate:
When groups of animals live together there is often one animal in charge of the group. This is the dominant animal. Other members of the group who must obey the dominant animal are subordinates.

Regurgitate:
Some animals are able to bring food back up from their stomachs to their mouths after they’ve swallowed it. Being able to do this allows animals to carry food back to their young or to other members of the group.

Fragmentation:
When the total area of an animal’s habitat is divided up, usually through habitat destruction or through the building of roads. This results in the animal not having enough area to live or hunt in so they may not survive.

Incubated:
When a parent bird keeps the eggs warm and safe until they hatch, usually by sitting on it.

New World:
This was the name given to America by the first Europeans to discover it.

Old World:
This was the name used to describe Africa, Asia and Europe after America was discovered.

Carrion:
Dead animals that are a source of meat for other animals that haven’t killed them.

Plumage:
The feathers on a bird’s body.

Habitat:
The natural home of an animal, where it lives in the wild.

Ecosystem:
A collection of plants and animals living in a particular environment. An ecosystem can be as big as a desert or as small as a pond.

Evolve:
This is when something changes slowly over time.

Adaptations:
Species evolve special characteristics, known as adaptations, which make them better able to survive in their habitat. Blubber is a type of adaptation that sea mammals have to keep them warm in cold water.

Conservation:
Protection and management of animals, plants or their habitat.

Species:
A group of animals or plants that share the same characteristics. These animals or plants can breed with each other but not with organisms that do not have the same characteristics as them.

Organism:
Any form of animal or plant life.