aestivate - a state of dormancy occurring during the summer; physiologically similar to hibernation

allopatric - living in different geographic regions

altricial - born undeveloped; requiring maternal care after birth; as opposed to precocial

boreal - from northern regions

coprophagy - ingestion of nutrient-rich partially digested fecal material

crepuscular - active during the morning and evening period

delayed fertilization - a condition found in some bats where sperm are retained within the reproductive tract of the female, sometimes for months, prior to ovulation and fertilization.


estrus - the period of time when a female is receptive to mating.

fossorial - living in an underground habit

gregarious - to gather, or act, in group, or communal ways

monestrous - species that experience estrus just once a year

monogamous - a mating system in which one male and female remain mated for multiple years

polyandrous - a mating system in which females mate with more than one male

polyestrous - species that come into season more than once a year

polygamous - a mating system in which both sexes mate with more than one mate

polygynous - a mating system in which males mate with more than one female

post-partum estrus - the case where females come into estrus immediately after giving birth

precocial - born in a fully-developed state; the opposite of altricial

subnivean - living under the snow, on the top of the ground

sympatric - when two species overlap their range

torpor - a manner of reducing metabolism to reduce energy needs in winter

type locality - the location where the original species (or subspecies) was taken and described