Agriculture = the cultivating of the soil, producing of crops, and raising of livestock (farming)
Aquatic invertebrate = animals with no backbone (worms, snails, crayfish, insect larvae)
Biodiversity = the variety of life in the world, or in a particular habitat or ecosystem
Calcar = a cartilage, spike-shaped structure that arises from the ankle and extends toward the tail (a spur)
Calcar (Keeled) = a calcar that extends/protrudes the tail membrane (look for a triangle shape near feet)
Conservation = the act of keeping & protecting from waste, loss, or destruction
Deforestation = the cutting down of forests or groups of trees for non-forest use
Echolocation = process of locating objects using sound waves (used for navigation, hunting, & social calls)
Ecosystem = all living and non-living things in an area (plants, animals, soil, water, air)
Extirpated = a species that is no longer observed in a specific region (some call it a "local extinction")
Foliage = the leaves, flowers, and branches of a tree
Forage = to search for food
Fragmentation = process of a large habitat area being transformed into smaller, isolated patches
Hibernacula = a place where bats hibernate during winter (caves, mines, crevices in rocks, built structures)
Hibernation = a period of time spent in a dormant state during winter
Insectivore = a species that feeds on only (or mainly) insects
Invasive Species = species not native to where they are found (can disturb local ecosystems)
Larva (plural, larvae) = juvenile form of an insect (caterpillar, grub)
Maternity Colony = a temporary gathering of pregnant female bats for giving birth & raising baby bats (pups!)
Migration = movement between summer and winter habitats to avoid unfavorable weather conditions
Migratory = species that migrate (most bat species that roost in trees during summer migrate south for winter)
Mouth, subterminal = ventral mouth; turned downward
Mouth, terminal = located in the middle of the head, points forward; jaws the same length
Myotinae = mouse-eared, silver-haired, and wing-gland bats (a subfamily of Vespertilionidae, vesper bats)
Nocturnal = active at night
Opercular = a hard, bony flap that covers & protects the gills of a bony fish
Pesticide = a chemical substance used to kill insects that harms plants and crops (& the animals that eat them)
Pollution intolerant (sensitive species) = organisms that cannot survive in poor water quality
Pollution tolerant = organisms that can survive in poor water quality
Riffle = shallow, fast moving sections of a stream where rocks break the water surface (adds oxygen to water)
Riparian area = relating to or living or located on the banks of a natural waterway (river, stream, reservoir)
Roost = any place wild bats live (trees, caves, mines, built structures, & sometimes bat boxes)
Tragus = a cartilage structure within the ear, located in front of ear canal (assists in echolocation)
Tubercle = skin nodules (lumps) made of keratin
Uropatagium = membrane stretching between legs, encompassing all/parts of tail (assists in flight)
Vespertilioninae = evening, forest, pipistrelle, & serotine bats (a subfamily of Vespertilionidae, vesper bats)
Wetlands = areas where water covers or floods the soil (marshes, swamps)
White-nose Syndrome (WNS) = fungal disease killing cave-dwelling bats in North America (whitenosesyndrome.org)
Woodlands = land covered with trees