Animal Biology Lab 10 - Spring 2025

Flashcards about animal biology lab, focusing on orders Testudines, Squamata, and Crocodilia, as well as pigeon anatomy and physiology.

Order Testudines

Plural of testudo, which means "shell"; order name is pronounced tes-TOO-din-eez.

Order Testudines Characteristics

Body enclosed by bony case made up of a dorsal carapace and ventral plastron. Jaws without teeth; beak-like mouth. Vertebrae and ribs fused to carapace. Neck usually retractable. Eyes with movable eyelids. Skull is anapsid.

Carapace

The dorsal section of a turtle's shell

Plastron

The ventral section of a turtle's shell

Order Squamata

squama = scale. Most lizards have legs; a few do not. Snakes do not have legs. Lizards have moveable eyelids and external ears while snakes lack both. Males have paired copulatory organs (hemipenes). Some species are viviparous; most are oviparous. Skull is diapsid.

Order Crocodilia Characteristics

Skull elongated and massive, 4-chambered heart, Forelimbs usually with 5 digits, hind limbs with 4 digits.

Trachea Function (Pigeon)

move air to and from the lungs for respiration

Esophagus Function (Pigeon)

move swallowed food from the mouth to the crop

Crop Function (Pigeon)

temporarily store ingested food; found in birds that eat seeds/grain

Heart Function (Pigeon)

pump blood throughout the body via blood vessels

Lungs Function (Pigeon)

primary organs of respiration

Proventriculus Function (Pigeon)

mix food with enzymes to begin chemical digestion of food

Gizzard Function (Pigeon)

muscular pouch that mechanically churns and breaks up food items

Liver Function (Pigeon)

detoxify certain compounds from digested food; produce bile

Small intestine Function (Pigeon)

completion of food digestion; absorption of nutrients from digestion

Pancreas Function (Pigeon)

produce digestive enzymes & secrete them into the small intestine

Kidneys Function (Pigeon)

filter nitrogenous waste from the blood and turn it into dry uric acid

Testes Function (Pigeon)

produce sperm for reproduction

Ovary Function (Pigeon)

produce eggs for reproduction

Cloaca Function (Pigeon)

common chamber for collection of urine, feces, and sperm or eggs

Uropygial gland Function (Pigeon)

secrete oil to coat feathers and make them waterproof