Last Updated 06 May 2005
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Herpetology 483/583 Syllabus, Spring 2005

Evolving Course Schedule

Chapter assignments are from Pough et al. text (3rd edition).
Other readings, denoted by author and year, should have links here.

Field Trips and Important Assignment Dates Also Noted

 

Part 1 - What they are and where they are:

WEEK 1

13 Jan

Lect. 1:, Introductions and Syllabus; Read: CH1

Lab: Introduction - (2005 Herp Lab Overview, 2005 Herp Field Trip Information)

WEEK 2

18 Jan

Lect. 2 : Vertebrate Evolution, Tetrapods, Amphib Origins; Read: CH2

Lab: Amphibians (~Urodela)

20 Jan

Lect. 3 : Amphibs con’t, Amniotes, Reptile Origins; Read: CH2

Lab: Taxonomy and Dichotomous Keys; Read: Stebbins 1949 (Part I) , (Part II), Wake et al. 1986

WEEK 3

25 Jan

Lect. 4 :Amphibs (Gymnophiona, Urodela); Read: CH3

Lab: Frogs I; (Frog Lab Handout 2005)

27 Jan

Lect. 5 :Amphibs (Anura); Read: CH3

Lab: Goliath Frogs etc., Taylor Edwards

FT1 29 Jan ASDM (optional) Meet at Main Entrance of Desert Museum at 0825; Personal transportation needed

Short Write-Up I Due end January (you may turn in at beginning of lecture Tues. 01 Feb)

WEEK 4

01 Feb

Lect. 6 (or as 6 slides/page) : Reptiles (Chelonia); Read: CH4

Lab: Frogs II, (same handout as last week) ;

03 Feb

Lect. 7 (or as 6 slides/page) : Reptiles (Crocodylia, Lepidosauria); Read: CH4
Optional Reading: Plumwood Croc Attack ~2001

Lab: Read: Hanken 1999, Blaustein and Johnson 2003

WEEK 5

08 Feb

Lect. 8 (or as 6 slides/page): Reptiles (Lepidosauria, Squamata); Read: CH4

Optional Reading: Slowinski Krait Bite ~2001

Lab: Turtles (Turtle Lab Handout 2005, Key to Turtle Lab Families 2005)
Short Lab Lecture on Field Notes and Kitt Peak

10 Feb

Lect. 9 (or as 6 slides/page): Biogeography; Read: CH5

Optional Reading: Zug et al. 2001, Biogeography Section
Optional Reading: Duellman and Trueb 1986, Biogeography Chapter

Lab: Sceloporus and Malaria, M. Kaplan Guest Speaker

FT2 12 Feb Kitt Peak (optional, but HIGHLY ENCOURAGED), vans will leave south side BSE (Highland Ave. and 4th St.) at 0830h

WEEK 6

15 Feb

Lect. 10 EXAM 1 (covers Pough et al. 2004 Chapters 1-4 and other readings and material)

EXAM I from 2003
EXAM I from 2004
2005 Review Sheet for First Exam
OLD 2004 Review Sheet for First Exam (or as PDF)

Lab: Crocs and Tuatara, (Croc and Tuatara Lab Handout)
Dissections and Specimen Prep. (Read: Dissection Handout , Specimen Handout, Specimen Label Handout)

17 Feb

Lect. 11 (or as 6 slides/page): Biogeography; Read: CH5

Optional Reading: Zug et al. 2001, Biogeography Section
Optional Reading: Duellman and Trueb 1986, Biogeography Chapter

Lab: Leopard Frogs in the Tucson Basin, Don Swann NPS; Dissections and Specimen Prep. con't

Urban Desert Tortoises, C. Jones (postponed until April 2005);

Part 2 - How and why they do what they do:

WEEK 7

22 Feb

Lect. 12 (or as 6 slides/page): Energetics and Performance; Read: CH7

Lab: Review for Practical

24 Feb

Lect. 13 Energetics and Performance; Read: CH7

Lab: First Lab Practical

WEEK 8

February Short Write-Up Due in lecture 01 March

01 Mar

Lect. 14 (or as 6 slides/page): Body Support and Locomotion; Read: CH10, Wilson et al 2002

Lab: Lizards I

03 Mar

Lect. 15 (or as 6 slides/page): Body Support and Locomotion; Read: CH10, look over Irschick web page

Duncan Irschick, Guest Speaker

Lab: Phrynosoma Feeding Morphology, Jay Meyers, Guest

FT3 05 Mar Heloderma and atrox etc. (optional), vans leave south side BSE 0710h; meet with R. Repp

WEEK 9

08 Mar

Lect. 16 Temperature and Water; Read: CH6

Lab: Lizards II

10 Mar

Lect. 17 (or as 6 slides/page): Temperature and Water; Read: CH6, Shoemaker et al. 1992

Lab: Field Methods

 

SB 12-20 Mar 2005 SPRING BREAK

WEEK 10

22 Mar

Lect. 18 (or as 6 slides/page): Finish Water and Temperature (CH6); begin Reproduction and Development (reptiles, CH9 and Janzen 1994)

Lab: Snakes I (Snake Lab Handout 2005)

24 Mar

Lect. 19 (or as 6 slides/page): Reproduction and Development (reptiles, CH9 and Janzen 1994); Amphibians (CH8)

Lab: continue Snakes I; Herp Collecting Practices - Matt Goode, guest speaker

FT4 26 Mar , Ragged Top (optional), vans leave south side BSE at 0655h

WEEK 11

29 Mar

Lect. 20 (or as 6 slides/page): finish Reproduction and Development (amphibs, CH8); begin Feeding (CH11 and Deban et al. 1997)

Lab: continue with Snakes II (see handout from last week)

31 March

Lect. 21 EXAM 2 (Chapters 5-10)

EXAM II from 2003
2004 Review Sheet for Second Exam (or as PDF)
2nd Exam from 2004 (did not cover biogeography; did cover feeding which is not on the 2005 2nd exam)
2005 Review Questions for 2nd Exam

Lab: continue snakes II and short lab lecture: Twinspot Rattlesnakes - D. Prival, Guest Speaker

01 April, Friday, Project Proposal Due to KEBonine by 1700h

WEEK 12

March Short Write-Up Due in Lecture 05 April

05 April 2005, Field Notes Due in Lab

05 Apr

Lect. 22 (or as 6 slides/page): Alien Species and Declining Amphibians; Read: Rosen and Schwalbe 2002; Cecil Schwalbe, Guest Speaker

Lab: Snakes III and short lab lecture: Cristina Jones - URTD in Arizona Desert Tortoises (POSTPONED)

FT5 07 Apr Bouse Dunes (required of all students), meet 0930h to pack and leave at 1015h from south side BSE

FT5 08 Apr Bouse Dunes (required of all students)

FT5 09 Apr Bouse Dunes (required of all students)

FT5 10 Apr Bouse Dunes (required of all students), leave Bouse midday with expected 1800h return to Tucson

Part 3 - Gettin' around, gettin' it on, etc.:

WEEK 13

12 Apr

Lect. 23 Movements and Orientation (CH12) - David Hall, Guest Speaker

Lab: Bouse Data Entry, Project Assistance, Review Specimens

14 Apr

Lect. 24 finish movements; begin feeding (CH11 and Deban et al. 1997)

Lab: Bouse Data Entry, Project Assistance, Review Specimens

WEEK 14

19 Apr

Lect. 25 Communication (CH13), Mating Systems and Sexual Selection? (CH14 and Gillingham 1987)

Lab: PRACTICAL TWO

21 Apr

Lect. 26 (or as 6 slides/page): Foraging Ecology, Interspecific Interactions; Read: CH15

Lab: Herp Veterinarian Issues, Jim Jarchow, Guest -AND- Bullfrog Biology in Southern Arizona, Dennis Suhre, Guest

FT6 23 April Happy Valley etc. (optional), vans leave south side BSE at 0700h

WEEK 15

Turn in first draft of semester project manuscript 26 April in lecture, do Peer Review in Lab

26 Apr

Lect. 27 (or as 6 slides/page): Species Assemblages; Read: Ch16 - Kevin Baker, guest speaker

Lab: Project Paper Peer Review

28 Apr

Lect. 28 (or as 6 slides/page): Conservation; Read: CH17, Whitfield Gibbons et al. 2000, and Rodda et al. 1997; Eric Stitt Guest Speaker

Lab: Wade Sherbrooke on Horned Lizard Ecology; Project Assistance, Powerpoint Tips (come with oral presentation file so we can help)

FT7 30 April Buenos Aires NWR (optional), vans likely leave south side BSE at 0700h (Dennis Suhre and Brent Sigafus)

WEEK16+

Monday 02 May: Turn in final semester project manuscript by 2000h

 03 May

Lect. 29 (or as 6 slides/page): Wrap Up and Evaluations

Lab: Student Oral Presentations (ppt file to KBonine by 0800h today)


Turn in Field Notes (and a copy of them) at the final

April Short Write-Up Due at the final (or earlier if you wish)

12 May (Thursday) FINAL EXAM (in normal lecture room; (8-10am; cumulative)

2005 Review Sheet for third portion of course (posted 06 May 2005).
2004 Review Sheet for third portion of course (or as PDF)



Back to Herp Course Home Page 2005