Parasitism – an interaction of species populations in which one organism lives in or on another from which it obtains food, shelter, amd other requirements
Parthenogenesis – the development of an individual from an egg without that egg undergoing fertilization
Patriarchal – a social group that is led by the dominant male
Passerine – small- to medium-sized birds characterized by having feet adapted for perching and containing over 60% of all known birds
Pelagic – inhabiting the open water
Perissodactyl – an odd-toed ungulate
Pheromone – a chemical substance produced and released into the environment by an animal which then elicits a physiological and/or behavioral response in another individual of the same species
Photophore – light producing organ found on some deep-sea fish
Photosynthesis – the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water
Phylum – taxonomic classification below kingdom
Piebald – an animal that has a pattern of pigmented spots on an unpigmented background of hair, feathers, or scales
Pinniped – a carnivorous mammal adapted for a semiaquatic marine lifestyle and having limbs modified into flippers
Piscivore – an animal that feeds on fish
Pit Organ – in certain snakes, an organ used warm-blooded prey
Placenta – the organ by which embryos of viviparous species are nourished and waste products removed
Placental – a mammal that cares for its young with a placenta
Plankton – aquatic organisms that drift with water movements
Plantigrade – gait in which the entire foot makes contact with the ground
Plastron – the bottom part of a turtle or tortoise shell
Platyrhine – (in primates) having separated nostrils that face to the side
Poaching – to illegally hunt or steal game
Poison – a toxin that is capable of causing illness or death in living organisms when introduced or absorbed
Pollinator – an organism that moves pollen from one flower to another
Polydont – having numerous teeth
Polyphyodont – having teeth that are continuously replaced
Precocial – young animals which are born with their eyes and ears open and are able to stand and walk, regulate their body temperature, and excrete without assistance
Predation – an interaction between species in which one organism obtains energy by consuming, usually killing, another
Predator Satiation – antipedator adaptation in which prey briefly occur at high population densities, reducing the probability of an individual organism being eaten
Prehensile – an appendage or organ adapted for grasping and holding
Premolar – one of the deciduous cheek teeth that are located between the canines and molars
Primate – an order of mammals characterized by large brains and adaptations for an arboreal lifestyle
Proboscidean – the order that constitutes elephants and their relatives
Proboscis – tubular protrusion from the anterior of an animal
Producer -an organism that makes its own food
Pterosaur – prehistoric reptiles capable of powered flight
Pupa – the stage in the life cycle of an insect during which the larval form is reorganized to form the final, adult form
Quadruped – an animal that walks on four legs
Rainforest – forest characterized by very high rainfall
Raptor – a bird of prey
Raptorial – being adapted for predation
Reef – a ridge of jagged rock, coral, or sand just above or below the surface of the sea
Reptile – group fop cold-blooded animals characterized by having scaly skin and laying eggs
Retractile – a claw that is capable of being pulled back
Rodent -order of primarily herbivorous mammals characterized by the presence of paired, continuously growing incisors
Root – the part of the tooth below the gumline
Rostrum – (in fish) forward projection or extension of the snout
Ruminant – suborder of artiodactyls in which the stomach is complex and food is brought up into the mouth for a second round of mastication
Rut – the mating season of ruminant animals
Saltatorial – being adapted for jumping
Sauropod – order of large, quadrupedal dinosaurs characterized by long necks and tails
Savannah – a plain characterized by coarse grasses and scattered tree growth, espcially on the margins of the tropics where rainfall is seasonal
Scale – an outer protective layer made up of flat, rigid, overlapping plates
Scansorial – being adapted for climbing
School – an aggregation of fish which are observed swimming together, usually of the same species, age, and size
Scute – an enlarged, bony dermal plate or scale
Serrated – (of teeth) possessing jagged edges to increase cutting ability
Sexual Dimorphism – the occurrence of morphological differences that distinguish males from females of a species of organism
Sexual Selection – natural selection arising through preference by one sex for certain characteristics in individuals of the other sex
Shell – a hard outer layer of a marine animal
Species – a group of organisms that resemble one another closely
Spinarret – (in spiders) silk handling organs
Sprawling Posture – walking with limbs positioned to the side of the body and bent at right angles
Squalene -oil found in shark liver that aids in buoyancy control
Strepsarrhine – (in primates) having a wet nose and a cleft upper lip bound to the gum
Suction Feeding – method of ingesting prey item in fluids by sucking it into the predator’s mouth via expansion of the oral cavity and/or throat
Suid – family of omnivorous ungulates consisting of pigs and characterized sparse, course body hair, well-developed tusks, and a flexible, cartilaginous disc on the end of the snout
Swim Bladder – a thin-walled, gas-filled sac that helps fish regulate their buoyancy
Symbiosis – situation in which dissimilar organisms live together in close association
Synapsid – subclass of reptiles characterized by the presence of a single skull opening behind the eyes
Syndactyl – having digits that are fused together
Tadpole – the round-bodied, long-tailed larva of an anuran amphibian
Talon – the claw of a bird of prey
Tame – an animal that is not dangerous to or frightened of humans
Tapetum Lucidum – layer f tissue within the retina that reflects back light and aids in nocturnal vision
Taxonomy – the scientific classification of organisms
Teleost – fish characterized by having a terminal mouth and bony skeleton
Temperate – a climate or region characterized by mild temperatures
Tendon – a flexible but inelastic cord of strong fibrous tissue attaching a muscle to a bone
Tentacle – an elongated, flexible structure found in invertebrates that is used for sensory reception and/or obtaining food
Testudine – group of reptiles consisting of turtles and tortoises
Tetrapod – vertebrate animal possessing four limbs
Thecodont – having teeth that are set in sockets
Theropod – group of bipedal, carnivorous dinosaurs that also includes birds
Thyreophoran – group of dinosaurs characterized by the presence of dermal armor
Thorax – the segment of an insect between the head and the abdomen
Tonic Immobility – natural state of paralysis some animals enter
Toxin – any poisonous substance of plant or animal origin
Trace Fossil – a fossil consisting of a mark or imprint left by an organism, usually indicative of behavior
Tropical – a non-arid climate with hot, non-polar temperatures year-round
Tundra – a flat, treeless plain in which the subsoil is permanently frozen
Tusk – a long, pointed, protruding tooth used for non-eating purposes and often sexually selected for in males