Glossary

A/C - Artificial Cover. Most common material used is plywood.
Albinism -a recessive gene that does not display melanism, therefore the lack of black. Albino snakes are usually white with yellow, orange, red, pink, etc.
Atrox - refers to the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake. (Crotalus atrox)
Blue - the color of the eyes when a snake is in the process of shedding.
Button - the rattle segment that the rattlesnake is born with. The "button" as well as other rattles can be broken off as the snake gets older.
Buzztail - a term used to describe rattlesnakes.
Cerastes - refers to the Desert Sidewinder (Crotalus cerastes cerastes)
Cerb - refers to the Arizona Black Rattlesnake (Crotalus cerberus)
Coontail - a slang term that refers to the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, but the Mojave Rattlesnake also has a "coontail".
Common Name - name that is accepted and recognized by herpetologists.
Crote - refers to rattlesnakes of the Crotalus Genera. For example, some rattlesnakes are of the Family  Viperiade; Subfamily  Crotalinae; Genera Crotalus. Not all rattlesnakes are "crotes". Some rattlesnakes are in the Genera Sistrurus. In Arizona, all rattlesnakes are of the Genera Crotalus except the Desert Massasauga (Sistrurus catenatus edwardsi)
Diurnal - snakes that are active in the morning and evening.
Flipping - refers to the act of looking under Natural materials (rocks, logs, etc..) and Artificial Cover (plywood, etc..)
Habitat Destruction - the result of damaging the snake's way of living. Although there can be minor habitat destruction from herpers looking for snakes (flipping rocks and not putting them back), the big issue is major habitat destruction by developers that destroy the snake's environment. When developers build a new housing development those snakes in that micro-habitat are doomed - forever.
Hemipenes - the sexual organs in snakes.  Males have hemipene pockets that probe from 4-12 scales counts. Females usually from 2-4.
Herp - refers to reptiles and amphibians.
Herping - refers to the act of looking for reptiles and amphibians.
Juvenile - a young snake, usually a year old.
Keratin - the material that makes up the rattle on rattlesnakes.
Melanism -  a recessive gene that displays either all dark colors or mostly dark colors (black/brown).
Mitchellii - refers to the Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii).
Montane - refers to snakes that live in a higher altitude.
Neonate - refers to a recently born/hatched snake.
Nocturnal - snakes that are active at night.
Probe - the process of inserting a small lubricated metal probe into the hemipenes to determine the sex of a snake.
Rattler - a term used to describe rattlesnakes.
Scientific Name - consists of Genus, species, sub-species.
Scute - refers to the Mojave Rattlesnake (Crotalus scutulatus)
Sky Islands - the mountain ranges in southern Arizona.
Speckled - refers to the Southwestern Speckled Rattlesnake (Crotalus mitchellii  pyrrhus)
Subcaudals scales - the scales under the tail.
Supraocular scales - the large scales over the eyes.
Tail - from the anal opening to the tip of the tail.
Velvet tail - refers to the Northern Blacktail Rattlesnake (Crotalus molossus molossus)
Winder - refers to the Sidewinders.