Glossary

Glossary: N

Nearctic

living in the Nearctic biogeographic province, the northern part of the New World. This includes Greenland, the Canadian Arctic islands, and all of the North American as far south as the highlands of central Mexico.

Neotropical

living in the southern part of the New World. In other words, Central and South America.

nares

the paired openings of the nasal cavity in vertebrates, nostrils. Singular: naris.

natal

Associated with an animal's birth.

natatorial

natatory, natatorious, natant

specialized for swimming

native range

the area in which the animal is naturally found, the region in which it is endemic.

nauplius larva

A free-swimming larvae with three pairs of appendages (antennules, antennae and mandibles)on an unsegmented body.

nectarivore

an animal that mainly eats nectar from flowers

nematocyst

a specialized cell in the tentacles of cnidarians (Phylum Cnidaria, jellyfish, corals, and anemones) and ctenophores (Phylum Ctenophora, comb jellies). Each nematocyst typically contains a barbed and/or venomous coiled thread that can be ejected in defense or to capture prey.

nest

nesting, nests, nested

a structure for protection from the elements and/or predators, usually used for protecting and raising babies.

no parental involvement

Indicates there is no parental involvement by either males or females after fertilization of the egg(s). As in broadcast spawning species that simply release eggs and sperm into the environment and have no further involvement with their offspring.

See also: parental investment; parental care

nocturnal

active during the night

nomadic

generally wanders from place to place, usually within a well-defined range.

non-insect invertebrates

invertebrate prey besides insects and spiders. For example, crustaceans (shrimp or crabs), molluscs (snails, clams, or squid), echinoderms (starfish or sea urchins), or cnidarians (jellyfish, coral).