Wildlife Vocabulary
Scavenger
A carnivore that feeds on the bodies of dead animals
Marsupial
A mammal that keeps and feeds its young in a pouch for a few months after birth
Feline
A member of the family of cats, lions, tigers, and jaguars.
Virus
A small, nonliving particle that invades and then reproduces inside a living cell.
Torpor
A state of deep sleep that helps animals save energy when food supplies are low
Rabies
A viral disease transmitted in the saliva of an infected animal that affects the central nervous systems of warm-blooded animals
Crepescular
Active at dawn and dusk
Nocturnal
Active at night
Diurnal
Active during the day
Omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and animals
Carnivore
An animal that feeds chiefly on meat or flesh
Warm-blooded
Animals that keep a consistent body temperature no matter what the temperature is in its environment.
Herbivore
Any animal that feeds chiefly on grass and other plants
Saliva
Liquid in the mouth that helps in digestion
Arboreal
Living in the trees
Mustelid
Member of a family of midsize carnivorous mammals with long, slender bodies, short legs, and well-developed anal scent glands
Habitat
Place where an animal lives that provides food, water, shelter and space.
Carrion
The rotting flesh of a dead animal
Plantigrade
Walking on the soles of the feet, like a human or a bear.
Rodent
an order of relatively small mammals with large gnawing incisor teeth that continue growing throughout the animal's life, as a mouse, rat, or squirrel.