Glossary
2
- 20th Century
- - the 100-year period from 1901 to 2000
A
- adaptations
- - physical or behavioral traits of an organism that allow it to survive in a certain environment
- antibodies
- - proteins in blood that fight, destroy, or provide immunity against toxic substances
B
- binky
- - to make a playful, twisting leap showing happiness
- boreal forest
- - a forest of coniferous trees, such as fir and spruce, located in the cold regions of the northern hemisphere
- burrow
- - a hole in the ground dug by wild rabbits for shelter
C
- camouflage
- - coloring or covering that allows an animal to hide or blend in with its surroundings
- crepuscular
- - becoming most active at twilight or before dawn
D
- descendant
- - one who comes down from a particular ancestor
- domesticate
- - brought under the control of humans and made suited to live near humans, no longer wild or in a natural state
- dominant
- - most powerful, highest in status
E
- ecosystem
- - a system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their physical environment
F
- feral
- - wild; not tame or domesticated
- food web
- - the interconnected food chains within a community, showing how plants and animals interact and the various food paths that contribute to survival
H
- herbivore
- - animal that eats plants
I
- incisors
- - front teeth used for biting
- infectious
- - an illness that can spread from one carrier to another
- invasive
- - non-native plants or animals living in areas where they do not naturally exist, often fast-spreading
K
- keystone species
- - a species that other species in an ecosystem largely depend on, such that if it were removed the ecosystem would be greatly impacted
- kit
- - a baby rabbit
L
- leveret
- - a baby hare
- litter
- - a group of young animals born to one mother at one time
M
- mammals
- - animals that are warm-blooded, have hair or fur, and produce milk for their young
N
- native
- - a species that exists in a certain ecosystem through natural processes, without human intervention
P
- pika
- - a small mountain-dwelling mammal with short round ears and a high-pitched squeak
- predator
- - an animal that hunts other animals for its food
- prey
- - an animal that is hunted and eaten by a predator
S
- senses
- - the ways in which animals receive signals and information from the environment; for example: hearing, vision, taste, touch, smell
- social
- - interaction with others, preferring companionship rather than being alone
T
- temperate forest
- - a forest of deciduous trees located in an area of mild temperatures between the boreal and tropical regions
- tropical forest
- - a forest of tall trees found in the tropics, where the climate is hot and humid and there is abundant rainfall
U
- urban development
- - the expansion of cities
W
- warren
- - an interconnected underground system of many burrows, chambers and tunnels where a colony of rabbits live