Turtle & Tortoise Terms (A – E)

A glossary of turtle and tortoise terminology

Amazon swords: A freshwater aquatic plant

Anachris: A freshwater weed

Anal scutes: The scutes on the rear plastron; can be different shapes for male or female

Annuli: Pattern of growth rings on the scutes of tortoises

Anterior: Towards the head, the front

Antibiotic: A chemical substance derivable from a mold or bacterium that kills microorganisms and cures infections

Aquatic: Living in the water

Basking: Behavior that allows a cold-blooded animal to absorb warmth from sunshine or another heat source

Basking light: A heat lamp where turtles get heat from while basking

Beak: The hard outer covering of the jaws

Bridges: Sides of the shell connecting the carapace and the plastron

Breeder: A person who breeds animals

Breeding: The act of reproduction

Calcium: Essential element for living organism; needed for good shell growth

Carapace: The top part of the shell of a turtle or tortoise

Carnivore: An animal or reptile that eats meat

Caudal: Pertaining to the tail region

Chelonian: Tortoises and turtles

CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species

Cloaca: Chamber near the anal opening where digestive and urinary wastes are excreted and where the reproductive tract is located

Clutch: All the legs laid by a female at one time; the equivalent to a litter of puppies

Dime store turtle: A nick name that was widely used for red ear sliders

Diurnal: Active during the day

Ecosystem: A system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment

Ectothermic: Cold-blooded

Endangered species: A species present in such small numbers that it is at risk of extinction

Epoxy: A thermo-setting resin; used chiefly in strong adhesives, coatings and laminates

Estivate: A summer period of inactivity similar to hibernation that can be an animal’s means of surviving in extremely hot and/or dry weather

Extinction: No longer in existence

All Turtles