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macaque These monkeys are primarily Asian. Many live mostly on the ground, and, unlike most monkeys, some can swim. Many are ill-tempered and aggressive. They belong to the family Cercopithecidae. Their tails are not prehensile and may be very short. Their nostrils are close together and point downward

magnolia . Because of their lustrous foliage and large blossoms, the magnolias are some of the handsomest flowering trees. There are about 85 species of magnolias, including both trees and shrubs. The magnolias are native to Asia, ranging from the Himalayas to Japan, and are cultivated in many parts of Central and North America. Some are evergreen; others shed their leaves in winter. The large, solitary blossoms range from white and light yellow to deep rose and purple. They produce a cone-like fruit that at maturity releases reddish seeds that remain suspended from it by slender threads. The genus Magnolia is named for Pierre Magnol, a French botanist of the 17th and 18th centuries.

mahogany The natural wood is a light reddish tan when young, and darkens with age to a deep reddish brown. In wood from the main trunk of the tree the grain shows as a fine plain stripe; from areas below a fork, it forms a swirling pattern.

Although there are a number of species of mahogany trees, only two produce the mahogany used in fine cabinets. The big-leaf mahogany, a tropical tree, is native to Honduras. It grows to 150 feet (45 meters) tall. The leaves are up to 2 feet (0.6 meter) long and bear eight to 12 glossy leaflets. The West Indian mahogany is a smaller tree found in Florida as well as in the West Indies. It supplied the original mahogany of commerce, and its wood is considered superior to that of the big-leaf because it is harder and denser. However, it has been largely replaced by the big-leaf as a source of timber because the latter is more abundant. True mahogany belongs to the genus Swietenia of the family Meliaceae.

mammal a warm-blooded, air-breathing class of vertebrate (backboned) animals known as Mammalia, or mammals. In many ways mammals are the most highly developed of all creatures. The term mammal explains one important way in which creatures in this class are set apart from other animals. It comes from the Latin mamma, which means "breast." Every female mammal has special glands, mammae, that secrete milk. The females of all but the most primitive mammalian species are viviparous. This means they bear their young alive. The young are then fed with milk until they have grown enough to get food for themselves.

mango Known as the "peach of the tropics," the fruit of the cultivated mango is one of humankind's greatest triumphs in improving wild plants. In its home in India, this evergreen tree of the cashew family (Anacardiaceae) originally had a small, fibrous, plumlike fruit with the taste of turpentine. Centuries of cultivation and selection have produced a luscious, often very colorful, fruit with a distinctive spicy flavor. The fruit varies greatly in size and character: the smallest mangoes are no larger than plums, while others may weigh up to 5 pounds (2.3 kilograms). Its form is oval, round, heart-shaped, kidney-shaped, or long and slender. The single large seed is flattened, and the juicy flesh that surrounds it is yellow to orange in color. It is eaten as a main dish or as dessert and is also used in the preparation of chutneys and preserves. It is a rich source of vitamins.

mangrove Most trees cannot live on tide-drenched seashores because their roots cannot get air from the wet soil. The mangrove, however, does so easily because its vinelike roots take in air through their pores. These roots drop from both the tree's trunk and branches into the surrounding mud, where they establish supporting stilts and new trunks in a dense tangled mass. For this reason the mangrove is one of the most useful members of the plant kingdom it protects shorelines from erosion by waves and other forces and helps build new land. Mangroves grow thickly along tropical and subtropical seashores, tidal marshes, and riverbanks. The common mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) grows to 40 feet (12 meters) in height and its bark is rich in tannin, a chemical used for tanning hides.

mangrove forest A tropical forest that has developed on sheltered, muddy shores of deltas and estuaries exposed to tide. The vegetation is almost entirely woody.

mast Nuts accumulated on the forest floor and often serving as food for animals.

matriarchal Relating to a type of social organization among animals where the family group is lead by a female.

matriline A related group of animals linked by descent through females alone

melanistic Having a high level of blackish pigmentation which produces a very dark or black color.

melons Melons are usually eaten as fresh fruits, though they are sometimes pickled or preserved. They are good sources of vitamins A and C and are low in calories and sodium. The fruits are round or oval-shaped with protective outer rinds that cover the fleshy pulp. The pulp in turn encloses many seeds. These seeds are quite oily 35 to 40 percent fat and though they are generally removed and discarded, they may be dried and eaten as snacks or used for cooking. Melons are also called muskmelons because of the heavy fragrance of the ripe fruit. The word melon is from the Latin melopepo, meaning "apple-shaped gourd."  Melons belong to the gourd family, Cucurbitaceae, which also includes cucumbers, pumpkins, squashes, and watermelons.

mesic A habitat characterized by a moderate amount of moisture.

metamorphosis . The transformation of an ungainly, crawling caterpillar into a delicate, flying butterfly is a complex, four-step process called metamorphosis, from the Greek word meaning "change of form." Metamorphosis occurs in thousands of insect species and amphibian species. It is controlled by a combination of genetic messages and hormones inside the organism, but it can also be influenced by environmental factors such as temperature and diet.

migratory A species that has moved temporarily away from it's breeding area, usually to warmer climate.

millipede Millipede means "thousand-legged." Both centipedes and millipedes have bodies that are composed of many segments. Millipedes have two pairs on each segment from the fifth one backward.

mold Mold is a general name given to several members of the fungus kingdom. Molds are usually inconspicuous until they begin to reproduce, then they are familiar to many people as the cause of food spoilage and crop infestation. There are, however, some beneficial varieties responsible for the flavor of Roquefort cheese, the alcoholic content of beer and wine, and antibiotic drugs such as penicillin. Molds can be found almost everywhere, both on land and in water. They are so widespread because they are able to live on a tremendous variety of food sources as well as to reproduce in large numbers. A single individual can produce thousands of airborne seedlike spores for reproduction. Some molds are parasitic they feed on living organisms. The majority of species, however, are saprophytic, feeding on the dead tissues of plants and animals.

Molds and other fungi possess characteristics of both plants and animals. They frequently have stalk-like structures that resemble those of plants. They also have cell walls just as plants do, though the cell wall of a mold is made of a polysaccharide called chitin, while the cell wall of a plant is made of cellulose. On the other hand, molds share the animals' capacity for movement, or locomotion. During some stages of their lives they can stream, or glide, over a smooth surface.

mollusks The large group of animals called mollusks live on land and in both fresh and salt water. They constitute the phylum Mollusca, a major group of animals known to have as many as 100,000 living species and more than 50,000 fossil forms. Most mollusks, including snails, clams, oysters, and mussels, have shells. A major group called the cephalopods, however, including octopuses, squids, and cuttlefish, have shells that are either greatly diminished or absent.

monkeys Monkey is a term applied to the day-active, long-tailed primates. Monkeys are found throughout the tropics of Central and South America, Africa, and Asia. However, they are not native to North America, Europe, or Australia. Most monkeys are forest inhabitants living in the trees, but some of the Old World species are open-country ground dwellers by nature.

Reproduction can occur at any time, but most species bear their young during periods of the year that are optimal for survival. Seasonal timing may be governed by annual wet-dry cycles. Monkeys have gestation periods ranging from almost five months to more than seven months. Most species have single young, though the marmosets and certain other monkeys ordinarily produce twins. Like humans, monkeys are born with their eyes open. They stay with their mothers constantly and continue to nurse for several months following birth. They mature at three to four years in most species. Captive monkeys have been known to live for up to 45 years, but their life span in the wild is probably much shorter. Monkeys have a varied diet, including fruit, leaves, flowers, insects, eggs, small reptiles, and even carrion; most species, however, are primarily herbivorous. Like the apes, most monkeys have thumbs and big toes that are opposable. In addition, some species have a prehensile, or grasping, tail, like a fifth hand, which they use for clinging to branches. Color vision, acute hearing, and some form of vocalization are characteristic of monkeys.

monogmous Having one mate at a time.

monophagous Referring to an organism that subsists on only one kind of food.

monotypic Referring to a genus that comprises a single species

montane Pertaining to mountainous country

moth Moths are part of a group of insects that make up the order Lepidoptera, meaning "scale wings." They are so named because their wings and certain portions of their bodies are covered with a fine dust. Under a microscope the dust is seen to be made up of millions of finely ridged scales that are arranged in overlapping rows. Each scale has a tiny "stem" that fits into a cuplike socket. The beautiful colors and markings of the insect are due to the scales, which come in a remarkable variety of colors. Moth antennae lack these knobs. Many of them look like tiny feathers, and some are threadlike. Moths fly at night. Moths rest with their wings outspread. These are not safe rules to follow, however, for some moths are lovers of sunshine and some fold their wings.

mountains This terrestrial biome includes summits of high mountains, either without vegetation or covered by low, tundra-like vegetation.

mouse A small, scampering mammal that relies on its senses of smell and hearing rather than sight to find its way around. It uses its nose to track down food and to follow scent paths. Its hearing is particularly attuned to high tones.

mushroom Mushrooms are members of a large group of simple plants, the fungi. Like other fungi, mushrooms contain no green coloring matter (chlorophyll), the means by which most other plants manufacture their food. Some are saprophytes that is, they obtain nourishment from decayed organic matter. Others are parasites they acquire food from living tissue. Still others live in symbiotic, or mutually beneficial, relationships with other plants.

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