PANDUANHEWAN · INDONESIA
Glossary of animal and conservation terms
What terms such as oviparous, viviparous, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, endemic, nocturnal, IUCN Red List, CITES and protected species mean, with their official sources.
What 35 terms used across the animal, conservation and pet-health guides mean. Each definition summarises its official source.
- Biodiversity
The variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems; it covers diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems.
Source: Convention on Biological Diversity — Article 2: Use of terms ↗
- BKSDA
Balai (Besar) Konservasi Sumber Daya Alam: government technical units for natural resources and ecosystem conservation that manage conservation areas and wild plant and animal affairs in their region.
Source: Direktorat Jenderal KSDAE ↗ · BKSDA office directory →
- Carnivore
An animal that eats meat. Carnivora is also the name of an order of mammals.
Source: KBBI — karnivor ↗
- CITES
The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. It regulates international trade so that it does not threaten species’ survival.
Source: CITES — What is CITES? ↗
- CITES Appendices I, II and III
Appendix I lists the most endangered species, whose international trade is permitted only in exceptional circumstances. Appendix II lists species whose trade must be controlled. Appendix III lists species protected in a country that has asked others for help in controlling trade.
Source: CITES — The CITES Appendices ↗
- Core vaccines
Vaccines recommended for every dog or cat, wherever they live, because they protect against severe, widespread diseases. Non-core vaccines are given according to each animal’s risk.
Source: WSAVA — Vaccination guidelines ↗ · Pet-health guides →
- Critically Endangered (CR)
An IUCN Red List category for species considered to face an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild.
Source: IUCN — Red List Categories and Criteria, version 3.1 ↗ · See threatened animals →
- Data Deficient (DD)
An IUCN Red List category used when there is not enough information to assess a species’ extinction risk.
Source: IUCN — Red List Categories and Criteria, version 3.1 ↗ · See threatened animals →
- Diurnal
Describes animals that are active mainly during the day; the opposite of nocturnal.
Source: KBBI — diurnal ↗
- Domesticated species
Species whose evolutionary process has been influenced by humans to meet their needs, such as cats, dogs and livestock.
Source: Convention on Biological Diversity — Article 2: Use of terms ↗
- Ecosystem
A dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism communities and their non-living environment interacting as a functional unit.
Source: Convention on Biological Diversity — Article 2: Use of terms ↗
- Endangered (EN)
An IUCN Red List category for species considered to face a very high risk of extinction in the wild.
Source: IUCN — Red List Categories and Criteria, version 3.1 ↗ · See threatened animals →
- Endemic
A species naturally found only in a particular geographic area, such as one island or one country. Endemic differs from “native”: a native species may also live elsewhere.
- Ex-situ conservation
Conserving components of biodiversity outside their natural habitats, for example through captive breeding or zoos.
Source: Convention on Biological Diversity — Article 2: Use of terms ↗
- Habitat
The place or type of site where an organism or population naturally occurs.
Source: Convention on Biological Diversity — Article 2: Use of terms ↗ · Habitat guides →
- Herbivore
An animal that eats plants.
Source: KBBI — herbivor ↗
- In-situ conservation
Conserving ecosystems and natural habitats, and maintaining and recovering viable populations of species in their natural surroundings.
Source: Convention on Biological Diversity — Article 2: Use of terms ↗
- Invasive alien species
Species whose introduction or spread outside their natural range threatens local biodiversity.
Source: Convention on Biological Diversity — What are invasive alien species? ↗
- IUCN Red List
IUCN’s global assessment of species’ extinction risk. The threatened categories are Critically Endangered (CR), Endangered (EN) and Vulnerable (VU). A category is not a country’s legal protection status.
Source: IUCN — Red List Categories and Criteria, version 3.1 ↗ · See threatened animals →
- Least Concern (LC)
An IUCN Red List category for species that do not qualify for a threatened category or for Near Threatened in the global assessment.
Source: IUCN — Red List Categories and Criteria, version 3.1 ↗ · See threatened animals →
- Metamorphosis
A change in body form or structure during growth, for example from caterpillar to butterfly.
Source: KBBI — metamorfosis ↗
- Near Threatened (NT)
An IUCN Red List category for species close to qualifying, or likely to qualify, for a threatened category in the near future.
Source: IUCN — Red List Categories and Criteria, version 3.1 ↗ · See threatened animals →
- Nocturnal
Mainly active at night and resting during the day, like slow lorises, tarsiers and many bats.
- Omnivore
An animal that eats both plants and meat; also called an “eat-everything” feeder.
Source: KBBI — omnivor ↗
- Oviparous (egg-laying)
Reproduction by laying eggs: the eggs leave the mother’s body and develop and hatch outside it.
Source: KBBI — ovipar ↗
- Ovoviviparous
Reproduction in which eggs develop inside the mother’s body but the embryo is not nourished by her; the young leave the body after hatching.
Source: KBBI — ovovivipar ↗
- Poikilotherm (cold-blooded)
A cold-blooded vertebrate whose body temperature follows the temperature of its surroundings, such as reptiles and amphibians.
Source: KBBI — poikiloterm ↗
- Protected area
A geographically defined area that is designated or regulated and managed to achieve specific conservation objectives.
Source: Convention on Biological Diversity — Article 2: Use of terms ↗
- Protected species (Indonesia)
Animal species designated as protected by the Indonesian government under the conservation law (Law No. 5 of 1990 as amended by Law No. 32 of 2024). The species list is set in implementing regulations; check the current list or ask the local BKSDA.
Source: JDIH BPK — UU No. 32 Tahun 2024 tentang Perubahan atas UU No. 5 Tahun 1990 ↗
- Rabies
A vaccine-preventable viral disease usually transmitted through the bite or scratch of an infected animal, most often a dog. Once clinical symptoms appear it is virtually always fatal. After an animal bite, seek medical care promptly.
Source: World Health Organization — Rabies ↗ · Pet-health guides →
- Scientific name
A two-part species name—genus and specific epithet—such as Varanus komodoensis. Animal names follow the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature so that each species has one valid name worldwide.
Source: International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature — The Code online ↗
- Sustainable use
Using biodiversity in a way and at a rate that does not lead to its long-term decline, so it can meet the needs of present and future generations.
Source: Convention on Biological Diversity — Article 2: Use of terms ↗
- Viviparous (live-bearing)
Reproduction by giving birth: the egg develops inside the female’s body and the embryo is nourished by the mother.
Source: KBBI — vivipar ↗
- Vulnerable (VU)
An IUCN Red List category for species considered to face a high risk of extinction in the wild.
Source: IUCN — Red List Categories and Criteria, version 3.1 ↗ · See threatened animals →
- Zoonosis
An infectious disease that has jumped from a non-human animal to humans. Causes can be bacterial, viral or parasitic, and it can spread through direct contact, food, water or the environment.