BIOL 1031: Lab 15 - Survey of Field Work: Data Collection on Turtles

Study flashcards for BIOL 1031 Lab 15 focusing on turtles and key vocabulary terms.

Ectothermic

Organisms that rely on external sources to regulate body temperature, commonly known as 'cold-blooded'.

Chordata

A phylum of animals including vertebrates, characterized by having a notochord, a dorsal nerve cord, and pharyngeal slits.

Reptilia

A class of animals that includes turtles, snakes, crocodilians, and birds, characterized by having dry, scaly skin.

Carapace

The dorsal (top) portion of a turtle's shell.

Plastron

The ventral (bottom) portion of a turtle's shell.

Scute

A single plate or scale on a turtle's shell.

Terrestrial Turtle

Turtles that live on land, like tortoises.

Sea Turtle

Turtles that inhabit oceans and have adaptations for swimming, such as flippers.

Freshwater Turtle

Turtles that live in or near freshwater bodies like rivers and lakes.

Gray's Slider

A species of turtle scientifically named Trachemys grayi.

Sexing a Turtle

Determining the biological sex of a turtle based on physical characteristics like tail size and plastron shape.

Growth Rings

The concentric rings found on a turtle's scutes used to estimate age.

Bocourt

The scientist who named Trachemys grayi in 1868.

Length to Width Ratio

A measurement used in determining turtle morphology and health.

Morphology

The study of the form or structure of turtles.

Dominance Hierarchy

The social ranking among turtles which can influence mating and feeding.

Calipers

A tool used for measuring the dimensions of an object, including length, width, and depth.

Mass Measurement

The process of determining the weight of an object, in this case, turtles in grams.

Mean

The average value calculated by summing a set of numbers and dividing by the count of those numbers.

Median

The middle value in a set of data when it is organized in ascending order.

Range

The difference between the highest and lowest values in a data set.