| bask |
to expose the body to the direct rays of the sun
(e.g., snakes may be seen basking on rocks or logs) |
| cold-blooded |
having a body temperature that varies with that
of the environment |
| constriction |
method used by some snakes to kill prey by coiling
tightly around the prey item to prevent it from breathing |
| endangered species |
method used by some snakes to kill prey by coiling
tightly around the prey item to prevent it from breathing |
| hemipenis; hemipenes (pl.) |
paired organ in male snakes used to transfer sperm
to the female in sexual reproduction |
| hibernate |
to become inactive during cold periods of the year |
| Jacobson's organ |
chemically sensitive organ in the mouth that is
used with the tongue to detect smells |
| juvenile |
individual that has not attained sexual maturity |
| keel; keeled |
raised ridge on the scales of the sides and back
of some snakes |
| keratin |
hard, tough, fibrous protein produced in the skin-the
basic substance that makes up scales, claws, fingernails, and hair |
| oviparous |
animals producing eggs that hatch outside the body
of the female |
| ovoviviparous |
species in which the eggs develop and hatch inside
the female's body |
| pit viper |
a venomous snake with a heat-sensing pit on each
side of the head |
| scute |
an enlarged scale on a reptile, such as that found
on the belly of snakes |
| threatened species |
a species likely to become endangered |
| venom |
a poisonous secretion transmitted by a bite or a
sting |
| venomous |
secreting and transmitting venom |
| viviparous |
species in which the young are born live after developing
completely within the female's body |
