Tortoise Glossary Terms

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Glossary Terms:  H

Habitat:   

The environment in which an animal lives.

Hatchling:   

The young animal just after it leaves the egg to about 6 months.

Herbivore/Herbivorous:   

Feeds only on grass and/or other plants material.

Hermanni boettgeri:   

Eastern sub-species of Testudo hermanni.

Hermanni hermanni:   

Western sub-species of Testudo hermanni.

Hermanns tortoise/Herman’s tortoise:

Testudo hermanni.

Hepatic:   

Relating to the liver.

Herpetologist:   

A person who studies reptiles and amphibians.

Herpetology:   

The scientific study of reptiles and amphibians.

Hibernaculum:   

The hibernation place.

Hibernation:   

Dormant winter state with an alteration in the biological and biochemical changes causing a decrease in temperature, respiration and blood pressure and metabolism whilst living off the reserves of body fat.

Hide:   

Tortoise house/cave which provides a secure place for the animal to hide.

Hinge:   

A mobile suture which allows part of the shell to open and close.

Hingeback tortoise:  

Kinixys lobatsiana.  Also called Lobatse hingeback.

Homogenous:   

A relatively intact distribution of genetic material within a population.  Little diversity from one locality to another within the range.

Horsfield tortoise:   

Agrionemys horsfieldii; Russian Tortoise.  Also called Central Asian tortoise, Steppe tortoise, Four-toed tortoise, Afghan tortoise.  Formerly classified as Testudo horsfieldii.

Hybrid:   

The progeny from a breeding between two species which are not of the same genus i.e. offspring that is a cross between different species.