ADW: Mammalia: INFORMATION
lives on Antarctica, the southernmost continent which sits astride the southern pole.
Arctic Ocean
the body of water between Europe, Asia, and North America which occurs mostly north of the Arctic circle.
Atlantic Ocean
the body of water between Africa, Europe, the southern ocean (above 60 degrees south latitude), and the western hemisphere.  It is the second largest ocean in the world after the Pacific Ocean.
Australian
Living in Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, New Guinea and associated islands.
Ethiopian
living in sub-Saharan Africa (south of 30 degrees north) and Madagascar.
Nearctic
living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World.  This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico.
Neotropical
living in the southern part of the New World.  In other words, Central and South America.
Pacific Ocean
body of water between the southern ocean (above 60 degrees south latitude), Australia, Asia, and the western hemisphere.  This is the world's largest ocean, covering about 28% of the world's surface.
Palearctic
living in the northern part of the Old World.  In otherwords, Europe and Asia and northern Africa.
acoustic
living in landscapes dominated by human agriculture.
aposematic
having coloration that serves a protective function for the animal, usually used to refer to animals with colors that warn predators of their toxicity. For example: animals with bright red or yellow coloration are often toxic or distasteful.
arboreal
Referring to an animal that lives in trees; tree-climbing.
bilateral symmetry
having body symmetry such that the animal can be divided in one plane into two mirror-image halves.  Animals with bilateral symmetry have dorsal and ventral sides, as well as anterior and posterior ends.  Synapomorphy of the Bilateria.
biodegradation
helps break down and decompose dead plants and/or  animals
bog
a wetland area rich in accumulated plant material and with acidic soils surrounding a body of open water.  Bogs have a flora dominated by sedges, heaths, and sphagnum.
brackish water
areas with salty water, usually in coastal marshes and estuaries.
carnivore
an animal that mainly eats meat
causes disease in humans
an animal which directly causes disease in humans.  For example, diseases caused by infection of filarial nematodes (elephantiasis and river blindness).
causes or carries domestic animal disease
either directly causes, or indirectly transmits, a disease to a domestic animal
chaparral
Found in coastal areas between 30 and 40 degrees latitude, in areas with a Mediterranean climate. Vegetation is dominated by stands of dense, spiny shrubs with tough (hard or waxy) evergreen leaves. May be maintained by periodic fire. In South America it includes the scrub ecotone between forest and paramo.
chemical
uses smells or other chemicals to communicate
choruses
to jointly display, usually with sounds, at the same time as two or more other individuals of the same or different species
coastal
the nearshore aquatic habitats near a coast, or shoreline.
colonial
used loosely to describe any group of organisms living together or in close proximity to each other - for example nesting shorebirds that live in large colonies.  More specifically refers to a group of organisms in which members act as specialized subunits (a continuous, modular society) - as in clonal organisms.
cooperative breeder
helpers provide assistance in raising young that are not their own
coprophage
an animal that mainly eats the dung of other animals
cosmopolitan
having a worldwide distribution. Found on all continents (except maybe Antarctica) and in all biogeographic provinces; or in all the major oceans (Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific.
crepuscular
active at dawn and dusk
cryptic
having markings, coloration, shapes, or other features that cause an animal to be camouflaged in its natural environment;  being difficult to see or otherwise detect.
delayed fertilization
a substantial delay (longer than the minimum time required for sperm to travel to the egg) takes place between copulation and fertilization, used to describe  female sperm storage.
delayed implantation
in mammals, a condition in which a fertilized egg reaches the uterus but delays its implantation in the uterine lining, sometimes for several months.
desert or dunes
in deserts low (less than 30 cm per year) and unpredictable rainfall results in landscapes dominated by plants and animals adapted to aridity.  Vegetation is typically sparse, though spectacular blooms may occur following rain.  Deserts can be cold or warm and daily temperates typically fluctuate.  In dune areas vegetation is also sparse and conditions are dry.  This is because sand does not hold water well so little is available to plants.  In dunes near seas and oceans this is compounded by the influence of salt in the air and soil.  Salt limits the ability of plants to take up water through their roots.
diurnal
active during the day, 2. lasting for one day.
dominance hierarchies
ranking system or pecking order among members of a long-term social group, where dominance status affects access to resources or mates
duets
to jointly display, usually with sounds in a highly coordinated fashion, at the same time as one other individual of the same species, often a mate
echolocation
The process by which an animal locates itself with respect to other animals and objects by emitting sound waves and sensing the pattern of the reflected sound waves.
ecotourism
humans benefit economically by promoting tourism that focuses on the appreciation of natural areas or animals. Ecotourism implies that there are existing programs that profit from the appreciation of natural areas or animals.
embryonic diapause
At about the time a female gives birth (e.g. in most kangaroo species), she also becomes receptive and mates. Embryos produced at this mating develop only as far as a hollow ball of cells (the blastocyst) and then become quiescent, entering a state of suspended animation or embryonic diapause. The hormonal signal (prolactin) which blocks further development of the blastocyst is produced in response to the sucking stimulus from the young in the pouch. When sucking decreases as the young begins to eat other food and to leave the pouch, or if the young is lost from the pouch, the quiescent blastocyst resumes development, the embryo is born, and the cycle begins again. (Macdonald 1984)
endothermic
animals that use metabolically generated heat to regulate body temperature independently of ambient temperature.  Endothermy is a synapomorphy of the Mammalia, although it may have arisen in a (now extinct) synapsid ancestor; the fossil record does not distinguish these possibilities.  Convergent in birds.
estuarine
an area where a freshwater river meets the ocean and tidal influences result in fluctuations in salinity.
eusocial
the condition in which individuals in a group display each of the following three traits:  cooperative care of young; some individuals in the group give up reproduction and specialize in care of young; overlap of at least two generations of life stages capable of contributing to colony labor
fertilization
union of egg and spermatozoan
filter-feeding
a method of feeding where small food particles are filtered from the surrounding water by various mechanisms.  Used mainly by aquatic invertebrates, especially plankton, but also by baleen whales.
folivore
an animal that mainly eats leaves.
food
A substance that provides both nutrients and energy to a living thing.
forest
forest biomes are dominated by trees, otherwise forest biomes can vary widely in amount of precipitation and seasonality.
fossorial
Referring to a burrowing life-style or behavior, specialized for digging or burrowing.
freshwater
mainly lives in water that is not salty.
frugivore
an animal that mainly eats fruit
granivore
an animal that mainly eats seeds
herbivore
An animal that eats mainly plants or parts of plants.
heterothermic
having a body temperature that fluctuates with that of the immediate environment; having no mechanism or a poorly developed mechanism for regulating internal body temperature.
hibernation
the state that some animals enter during winter in which normal physiological processes are significantly reduced, thus lowering the animal's energy requirements.  The act or condition of passing winter in a torpid or resting state, typically involving the abandonment of homoiothermy in mammals.
induced ovulation
ovulation is stimulated by the act of copulation (does not occur spontaneously)
insectivore
An animal that eats mainly insects or spiders.
internal fertilization
fertilization takes place within the female's body
intertidal or littoral
the area of shoreline influenced mainly by the tides, between the highest and lowest reaches of the tide.  An aquatic habitat.
introduced
referring to animal species that have been transported to and established populations in regions outside of their natural range, usually through human action.
iteroparous
offspring are produced in more than one group (litters, clutches, etc.) and across multiple seasons (or other periods hospitable to reproduction).  Iteroparous animals must, by definition, survive over multiple seasons (or periodic condition changes).
keystone species
a species whose presence or absence strongly affects populations of other species in that area such that the extirpation of the keystone species in an area will result in the ultimate extirpation of many more species in that area (Example: sea otter).
marsh
marshes are wetland areas often dominated by grasses and reeds.
migratory
makes seasonal movements between breeding and wintering grounds
mimicry
imitates a communication signal or appearance of another kind of organism
molluscivore
eats mollusks, members of Phylum Mollusca
monogamous
Having one mate at a time.
motile
having the capacity to move from one place to another.
mountains
This terrestrial biome includes summits of high mountains, either without vegetation or covered by low, tundra-like vegetation.
mycophage
an animal that mainly eats fungus
natatorial
specialized for swimming
native range
the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.
nectarivore
an animal that mainly eats nectar from flowers
nocturnal
generally wanders from place to place, usually within a well-defined range.
oceanic islands
islands that are not part of continental shelf areas, they are not, and have never been, connected to a continental land mass, most typically these are volcanic islands.
omnivore
an animal that mainly eats all kinds of things, including plants and animals
oriental
found in the oriental region of the world.  In other words, India and southeast Asia.
oviparous
reproduction in which eggs are released by the female; development of offspring occurs outside the mother's body.
parasite
an organism that obtains nutrients from other organisms in a harmful way that doesn't cause immediate death
pelagic
An aquatic biome consisting of the open ocean, far from land, does not include sea bottom (benthic zone).
pet trade
the business of buying and selling animals for people to keep in their homes as pets.
pheromones
chemicals released into air or water that are detected by and responded to by other animals of the same species
piscivore
an animal that mainly eats fish
planktivore
an animal that mainly eats plankton
polar
the regions of the earth that surround the north and south poles, from the north pole to 60 degrees north and from the south pole to 60 degrees south.
polyandrous
Referring to a mating system in which a female mates with several males during one breeding season (compare polygynous).
polygynandrous
the kind of polygamy in which a female pairs with several males, each of which also pairs with several different females.
polygynous
having more than one female as a mate at one time
polymorphic
"many forms."  A species is polymorphic if its individuals can be divided into two or more easily recognized groups, based on structure, color, or other similar characteristics.  The term only applies when the distinct groups can be found in the same area; graded or clinal variation throughout the range of a species (e.g. a north-to-south decrease in size) is not polymorphism.  Polymorphic characteristics may be inherited because the differences have a genetic basis, or they may be the result of environmental influences. We do not consider sexual differences (i.e. sexual dimorphism), seasonal changes (e.g. change in fur color), or age-related changes to be polymorphic. Polymorphism in a local population can be an adaptation to prevent density-dependent predation, where predators preferentially prey on the most common morph.
rainforest
rainforests, both temperate and tropical, are dominated by trees often forming a closed canopy with little light reaching the ground. Epiphytes and climbing plants are also abundant.  Precipitation is typically not limiting, but may be somewhat seasonal.
reef
structure produced by the calcium carbonate skeletons of coral polyps (Class Anthozoa). Coral reefs are found in warm, shallow oceans with low nutrient availability.  They form the basis for rich communities of other invertebrates, plants, fish, and protists.  The polyps live only on the reef surface. Because they depend on symbiotic photosynthetic algae, zooxanthellae, they cannot live where light does not penetrate.
riparian
Referring to something living or located adjacent to a waterbody (usually, but not always, a river or stream).
saltatorial
specialized for leaping or bounding locomotion; jumps or hops.
saltwater or marine
mainly lives in oceans, seas, or other bodies of salt water.
sanguivore
an animal that mainly eats blood
scavenger
an animal that mainly eats dead animals
scent marks
communicates by producing scents from special gland(s) and placing them on a surface whether others can smell or taste them
scrub forest
scrub forests develop in areas that experience dry seasons.
seasonal breeding
breeding is confined to a particular season
sedentary
remains in the same area
semelparous
offspring are all produced in a single group (litter, clutch, etc.), after which the parent usually dies.  Semelparous organisms often only live through a single season/year (or other periodic change in conditions) but may live for many seasons.  In both cases reproduction occurs as a single investment of energy in offspring, with no future chance for investment in reproduction.
sexual
reproduction that includes combining the genetic contribution of two individuals, a male and a female
sexual ornamentation
one of the sexes (usually males) has special physical structures used in courting the other sex or fighting the same sex.  For example: antlers, elongated tails, special spurs.
social
associates with others of its species; forms social groups.
soil aeration
digs and breaks up soil so air and water can get in
solitary
lives alone
sperm-storing
mature spermatozoa are stored by females following copulation.  Male sperm storage also occurs, as sperm are retained in the male epididymes (in mammals) for a period that can, in some cases, extend over several weeks or more, but here we use the term to refer only to sperm storage by females.
stores or caches food
places a food item in a special place to be eaten later.  Also called "hoarding"
suburban
living in residential areas on the outskirts of large cities or towns.
swamp
a wetland area that may be permanently or intermittently covered in water, often dominated by woody vegetation.
tactile
uses touch to communicate
taiga
Coniferous or boreal forest, located in a band across northern North America, Europe, and Asia. This terrestrial biome also occurs at high elevations. Long, cold winters and short, wet summers. Few species of trees are present; these are primarily conifers that grow in dense stands with little undergrowth. Some deciduous trees also may be present.
temperate
that region of the Earth between 23.5 degrees North and 60 degrees North (between the Tropic of Cancer and the Arctic Circle) and between 23.5 degrees South and 60 degrees South (between the Tropic of Capricorn and the Antarctic Circle).
terrestrial
Living on the ground.
territorial
defends an area within the home range, occupied by a single animals or group of animals of the same species and held through overt defense, display, or advertisement
tropical
the region of the earth that surrounds the equator, from 23.5 degrees north to 23.5 degrees south.
tropical savanna and grassland
A terrestrial biome. Savannas are grasslands with scattered individual trees that do not form a closed canopy. Extensive savannas are found in parts of subtropical and tropical Africa and South America, and in Australia.
savanna
A grassland with scattered trees or scattered clumps of trees, a type of community intermediate between grassland and forest. See also Tropical savanna and grassland biome.
temperate grassland
A terrestrial biome found in temperate latitudes (>23.5° N or S latitude). Vegetation is made up mostly of grasses, the height and species diversity of which depend largely on the amount of moisture available. Fire and grazing are important in the long-term maintenance of grasslands.
tundra
A terrestrial biome with low, shrubby or mat-like vegetation found at extremely high latitudes or elevations, near the limit of plant growth. Soils usually subject to permafrost. Plant diversity is typically low and the growing season is short.
ultrasound
uses sound above the range of human hearing for either navigation or communication or both
urban
living in cities and large towns, landscapes dominated by human structures and activity.
venomous
an animal which has an organ capable of injecting a poisonous substance into a wound (for example, scorpions, jellyfish, and rattlesnakes).
vibrations
movements of a hard surface that are produced by animals as signals to others
visual
uses sight to communicate
viviparous
reproduction in which fertilization and development take place within the female body and the developing embryo derives nourishment from the female.
year-round breeding