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Association For The Study Of Reptilia And Amphibia
A circulus is a rarely occurring reptilian social group where there is interaction and personal exchange between individuals. Members will often protect and defend young, even if not of direct genetic linkage. ''Circulus'' is a Latin based term; one definition of the word is "a social gathering or circle company".Andrews,E.A; 1875. ''Latin-English Lexicon.'' Harper & Brothers publishers, 329 & 331 Pearl Street, Franklin Square, New York, U.S.A. 1663 pp. Most reptiles are indifferent socially to each other as adults or to offspring. Behaviours Among crocodilians and certain lizards, there is a much greater interaction between members. Young will be guarded and defended for a considerable period of time. Crocodilians of both sexes carry and assist young hatchlings to the water and guard them. The gharial (''Gavialis gangeticus'') has to nudge young to the water because their teeth are too sharp to carry them. Sub-adult members of a crocodilian social group will often stand by a f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reptile
Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocephalia. About 12,000 living species of reptiles are listed in the Reptile Database. The study of the traditional reptile orders, customarily in combination with the study of modern amphibians, is called herpetology. Reptiles have been subject to several conflicting Taxonomy, taxonomic definitions. In Linnaean taxonomy, reptiles are gathered together under the Class (biology), class Reptilia ( ), which corresponds to common usage. Modern Cladistics, cladistic taxonomy regards that group as Paraphyly, paraphyletic, since Genetics, genetic and Paleontology, paleontological evidence has determined that birds (class Aves), as members of Dinosauria, are more closely related to living crocodilians than to other reptiles, and are thus nested among re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Solomon Islands Skink
The Solomon Islands skink (''Corucia zebrata''), also known as prehensile-tailed skink, monkey-tailed skink, giant skink, zebra skink, and monkey skink, is an arboreal species of skink endemic to the Solomon Islands archipelago. It is the largest known extant species of skink. The Solomon Islands skink is completely herbivorous, eating many different fruits and vegetables including the pothos plant. It is one of the few species of reptile known to function within a social group or circulus. Both male and female specimens are known to be territorial and often hostile towards members not a part of their family group. ''Corucia'' is a monotypic genus, containing a single species. However, in 1997 it was determined that there are two subspecies of the Solomon Islands skink: the common monkey-tailed skink (''Corucia zebrata zebrata'') and the northern monkey-tailed skink (''Corucia zebrata alfredschmidti)''. Among other variances, the northern skink is smaller and has darker ey ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anatomical Terms Of Location
Standard anatomical terms of location are used to describe unambiguously the anatomy of humans and other animals. The terms, typically derived from Latin or Greek roots, describe something in its standard anatomical position. This position provides a definition of what is at the front ("anterior"), behind ("posterior") and so on. As part of defining and describing terms, the body is described through the use of anatomical planes and axes. The meaning of terms that are used can change depending on whether a vertebrate is a biped or a quadruped, due to the difference in the neuraxis, or if an invertebrate is a non-bilaterian. A non-bilaterian has no anterior or posterior surface for example but can still have a descriptor used such as proximal or distal in relation to a body part that is nearest to, or furthest from its middle. International organisations have determined vocabularies that are often used as standards for subdisciplines of anatomy. For example, '' Termi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Red-eyed Crocodile Skink
''Tribolonotus gracilis'', commonly known as the red-eyed crocodile skink or New Guinea crocodile skink, is a species of skink that is endemic to New Guinea, where it lives in tropical rainforest habitats. It was first described by Nelly de Rooij in 1909. It is sometimes kept as an exotic pet. Behavior ''Tribolonotus gracilis'' is one of the few species of skink Skinks are a type of lizard belonging to the family (biology), family Scincidae, a family in the Taxonomic rank, infraorder Scincomorpha. With more than 1,500 described species across 100 different taxonomic genera, the family Scincidae is one o ...s that vocalize when in distress. When startled, they tend to freeze and have been known to "play dead" (even when handled). Reproduction A male red-eyed crocodile skink can be identified by the white pads (pores) on his feet. Female red-eyed crocodile skinks have two working ovaries, but only the right oviduct is functional; therefore, eggs from the left ovary must migra ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ovoviviparity
Ovoviviparity, ovovivipary, ovivipary, or aplacental viviparity is a "bridging" form of reproduction between egg-laying oviparous and live-bearing viviparous reproduction. Ovoviviparous animals possess embryos that develop inside eggs that remain in the mother's body until they are ready to hatch. The young of some ovoviviparous amphibians, such as '' Limnonectes larvaepartus'', are born as larvae, and undergo further metamorphosis outside the body of the mother. Members of genera '' Nectophrynoides'' and '' Eleutherodactylus'' bear froglets, not only the hatching, but all the most conspicuous metamorphosis, being completed inside the body of the mother before birth. Among insects that depend on opportunistic exploitation of transient food sources, such as many Sarcophagidae and other carrion flies, and species such as many Calliphoridae, that rely on fresh dung, and parasitoids such as tachinid flies that depend on entering the host as soon as possible, the embryos ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel grown by an animal to carry a possibly fertilization, fertilized egg cell (a zygote) and to egg incubation, incubate from it an embryo within the egg until the embryo has become an animal fetus that can survive on its own, at which point the animal hatches. Most arthropods, vertebrates (excluding live-bearing mammals), and Mollusca, mollusks lay eggs, although some, such as scorpions, do not. Reptile eggs, bird eggs, and monotreme eggs are laid out of water and are surrounded by a protective eggshell, shell, either flexible or inflexible. Eggs laid on land or in nests are usually kept within a warm and favorable temperature range while the embryo grows. When the embryo is adequately developed it hatches, i.e., breaks out of the egg's shell. Some embryos have a temporary egg tooth they use to crack, pip, or break the eggshell or covering. The largest recorded egg is from a whale shark and was in size. Whale shark eggs typically hatch within the m ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Orphan
An orphan is a child whose parents have died, are unknown, or have permanently abandoned them. It can also refer to a child who has lost only one parent, as the Hebrew language, Hebrew translation, for example, is "fatherless". In some languages, such as Swedish language, Swedish, the term is "parentless" and more ambiguous about whether the parents are dead, unknown or absconded, but typically refers to a child or younger adult. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents due to death is called an orphan. When referring to animals, only the mother's condition is usually relevant (i.e., if the female parent has gone, the offspring is an orphan, regardless of the father's condition). Definitions Various groups use different definitions to identify orphans. One legal definition used in the United States is a minor (law), minor bereft through "death or disappearance of, abandonment or desertion by, or separation or loss from, both parents". In everyday use, an orphan ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pair Bonding
In biology, a pair bond is the strong affinity that develops in some species between a mating pair, often leading to the production and rearing of young and potentially a lifelong bond. Pair-bonding is a term coined in the 1940s that is frequently used in sociobiology and evolutionary biology circles. The term often implies either a lifelong socially monogamous relationship or a stage of mating interaction in socially monogamous species. It is sometimes used in reference to human relationships. Varieties According to evolutionary psychologists David P. Barash and Judith Lipton, from their 2001 book ''The Myth of Monogamy'', there are several varieties of pair bonds: *''Short-term pair-bond:'' a transient mating or associations *''Long-term pair-bond:'' bonded for a significant portion of the life cycle of that pair *''Lifelong pair-bond:'' mated for life *''Social pair-bond:'' attachments for territorial or social reasons *''Clandestine pair-bond:'' quick extra-pair copulations ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stump-tailed Skink
''Tiliqua rugosa'', most commonly known as the shingleback skink, stumptail skink or bobtail lizard, is a short-tailed, slow-moving species of blue-tongued skink (genus ''Tiliqua'') endemic to Australia. It is commonly known as the shingleback (lizard), potato lizard or sleepy lizard. Three of its four recognised subspecies are found in Western Australia, where the ''bobtail'' name is most frequently used. The fourth subspecies, ''T. rugosa asper,'' is the only one native to eastern Australia, where it goes by the common name of the eastern shingleback. Apart from bobtail and shingleback, a variety of other common names are used in different states, including two-headed skink, stumpy lizard, stumpy-tailed skink, or , pinecone lizard. The Noongar Aboriginal people refer to ''rugosa'' as ''yoorn'' in their language. ''T. rugosa'' has a short, wide, stumpy tail that resembles its head and may serve the purpose of confusing predators. The tail also contains fat reserves, which ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Group (sociology)
In the social sciences, a social group is defined as two or more people who interact with one another, share similar characteristics, and collectively have a sense of unity. Regardless, social groups come in a myriad of sizes and varieties. For example, a society can be viewed as a large social group. The system of behaviors and psychological processes occurring within a social group or between social groups is known as group dynamics. Definition Social cohesion approach A social group exhibits some degree of social cohesion and is more than a simple collection or aggregate of individuals, such as people waiting at a bus stop, or people waiting in a line. Characteristics shared by members of a group may include Interest (emotion), interests, Value (personal and cultural), values, Social representation, representations, ethnic or social background, and kinship ties. Kinship ties being a social bond based on common ancestry, marriage or adoption. In a similar vein, some rese ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Manouria Emys
The Asian forest tortoise (''Manouria emys''), also known commonly as the Mountain tortoise or Burmese Brown Mountain tortoise, is a species of tortoise in the family Testudinidae. The species is endemic to Southeast Asia. It is believed to be among the most primitive of living tortoises, based on molecular and morphological studies. Taxonomy There are two recognized subspecies: ''M. e. emys'' occurring in southern Thailand, Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo; and ''M. e. phayrei'', occurring from northwestern Thailand to northeastern India. The latter was named after Sir Arthur Purves Phayre (1812–1885), British Army officer in India who became Commissioner of British Burma. Based on a variety of phylogenetic characteristics, the genus ''Manouria'' is regarded as comparatively primitive and basal to other Testudinidae. Description The Asian forest tortoise is the largest tortoise in mainland Asia. The largest adults of the northern subspecies, ''Manouria emys phayrei'', can reach 2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
