What on earth does that mean?

There is new terminology to learn when you enter the world of native wildlife

Here are just a few to start you off (in alphabetical order).
 

Amniotic Sac - the sac in which a foetus is born, this breaks after birth. Many animals have this, from kittens to elephants

Arachnid - are a type of arthropod. They include spiders, scorpions, ticks & mites. Most arachnids have 4 pairs of legs. Some arachnids use their front legs for holding their prey

Arthropod - an invertebrate animal that has an exoskeleton and a segmented body. They include insects, arachnids & crustaceans

Browse - to feed on bushes and shrubs. It also refers to the branches and leaves that are collected to feed koalas & possums

Carnivore - eats meat

Cloaca - a single cavity used for excreting faeces and urine, it is also used for reproduction. Many animals that come through our Shelter have a cloaca such as macropods & possums

Crustaceans - have a hard outer shell. They are the largest group of marine arthropods. They include prawns, lobsters, yabbies and crabs

Diurnal - active during the day

Nocturnal - active at night

Ectothermic - cold blooded. Animals that do not generate their own heat

Endothermic - warm blooded

Exoskeleton - external skeleton

Folivore - leaf eating animal

Frugivore - eats only fruit

Furcula - a forked bone found in birds (wishbone)

Gregarious - living in groups

Gut Flora - organisms in the stomach which help build up the immune system, they fight the bad bacteria and aid in the digestion of food

Herbivore - eats vegetation

Insectivore - eats insects & arthropods

Macropod - combination of 2 Greek words macro meaning big and pod meaning foot.

Omnivore - eats both meat & plants

Pentapedal Movement - using forelimbs, hindlimbs and tail to move around (pent means five)

Placental - an embryo developing in the uterus not a pouch

Prehensile - able to grip with, such as a possum has a prehensile tail

Subcutaneous - just under the skin

Tetrapods - having 4 limbs.