Last Updated 06 May 2007
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Herpetology 483/583 Syllabus, Spring 2007

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

11 Jan

Lect. 1 (or as 6 slides/page) : Introductions and Syllabus; Read: CH1

Lab: Introduction
Foldi lab presentation: introduction and overview, importance of systematics.
Kahrs lab presentation: introduction and overview, his research system.
- (2006 Herp Lab Overview, 2007 Herp Field Trip Information)



WEEK 2

16 Jan

Lect. 2 (or as 6 slides/page) : Vertebrate Evolution, Tetrapods, Amphib Origins; Read: CH2

Lab: Amphibians (~Urodela)
Foldi lab presentation: introduction to salamanders (and caecilians) or as 6 slides/page.
Kahrs lab presentation: introduction to salamanders (and caecilians) or as 6 slides/page.

18 Jan

Lect. 3 (or as 6 slides/page) : Amphibs con’t, Amniotes, Reptile Origins; Read: CH2

Lab: Taxonomy and Dichotomous Keys; Read: Stebbins 1949 (Part I) , (Part II); Wake et al. 1986
Foldi lab presentation: taxonomy, cladistics, dichotomous keys; or as 6 slides/page.



WEEK 3

23 Jan

Lect. 4 (or as 6 slides/page) :Amphibs (Urodela, begin Anura); Read: CH3
Phylogeny Quiz Today!

Lab: Frogs I; (Frog Lab Handout 2007)
Foldi ~toad talk
Kahrs ~toad talk

25 Jan

Lect. 5 (or as 6 slides/page) :Amphibs (Anura); Read: CH3

Lab: Goliath Frogs etc., Taylor Edwards and Hans-Werner Herrmann

FT1 27 Jan ASDM (optional) Meet at Main Entrance of Desert Museum at 0850h; Personal transportation needed (we can try to arrange carpooling in lab)



WEEK 4

30 Jan

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

Lab: Frogs II, (same handout as last week) ;
1230 Lab: Foldi ~Rana talk
1430 Lab: Kahrs ~Rana talk

01 Feb

Lect. 7 (or as 6 slides/page) : Reptiles (Lepidosauria, Squamata); Read: CH4
Optional Reading: Slowinski Krait Bite ~2001

Lab: Anuran Life History Variation, David Kahrs;
1230 Lab: Foldi Amphibian Oral Quiz


WEEK 5

06 Feb

Lect. 8: Reptiles (Chelonia); Read: CH4

Ed Moll, guest speaker

Lab: Turtles (Turtle Lab Handout 2007, Key to Turtle Lab Families)
1230 Lab: Foldi Turtle Overview

08 Feb

Lect. 9 (or as 6 slides/page): Reptiles (Squamata continued); Read: CH4

Lab: Dissections and Specimen Prep; Three Handouts:
Specimen Tag Labels
Fixing and Preparing Specimens
Dissection Tips



WEEK 6

13 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
EXAM I from 2005
EXAM I KEY from 2006
2007 Exam I Key (Students have until 28 Feb to request changes to exam scores)
2007 Review Sheet for First Exam
2006 Review Sheet for First Exam
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: same as Thursday last week)
Lab Mini-lecture: Crocs and Tuatara Overview (Steve Foldi)

15 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: Dissections and Specimen Prep. con't
Erin Zylstra will talk about her Desert Tortoise research.



WEEK 7

20 Feb

Lect. 12 (or as 6 slides/page): Finish Biogeography; Read: CH5

Lab: Review for Practical



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

22 Feb

Lect. 13 (or as 6 slides/page): Temperature and Water; Read: CH6, Shoemaker et al. 1992

Lab: First Lab Practical (2007 ANSWER KEY)





WEEK 8

27 Feb

Lect. 14 (or as 6 slides/page): Energetics and Performance; Read: CH7,

Lab: Lizards I
Foldi Lab Lecture , or as 6 slides/page
Kahrs Lab Lecture , or as 6 slides/page

First Short Write-Up Due in lecture 01 March

01 Mar

Lect. 15 (or as 6 slides/page): Energetics and Performance; Read: CH7, Wilson et al 2002

Lab: Roger Repp Field Techniques and Data Acquisition

FT2 04 Mar Heloderma and atrox etc. (optional), vans leave south side BSE 0803h; meet with R. Repp and G. Schuett
Three of Gordon Schuett's recent papers (optional and interesting readings):
Sullivan et al. 2004, Gila monster translocations (don't work)
Schuett et al. 2005, Boa constrictor skeleton plasticity
Schuett et al. 2005 (Animal Behavior), Rattlesnakes, mating systems, and sex steroids



WEEK 9

06 Mar

Lect. 16 (or as 6 slides/page): Body Support and Locomotion; Read: CH10

Lab: Lizards II (same handout as last week)
Foldi Lab Lecture , or as 6 slides/page
Kahrs Lab Lecture , or as 6 slides/page

08 Mar

Lect. 17: Body Support and Locomotion; Read: CH10

Lab: Lizard specimens, discuss projects, Cane Toads Video

 

SB 10-18 Mar 2007 SPRING BREAK



WEEK 10

20 Mar

Lect. 18 (or as 6 slides/page): Reproduction and Development (reptiles, CH9 and Janzen 1994)

Lab: Snakes I (Snake Lab Handout 2007)
Foldi Snake Lecture (non-Colubrid) , or as 6 slides/page
Kahrs Viperidae and other non-colubrids Lecture , or as 6 slides/page

22 Mar

Lect. 19 (or as 6 slides/page): Reproduction and Development in Amphibians (CH8)

Lab: continue Snakes I; Herp Collecting Practices - Matt Goode, guest speaker (at 1330h and 1430h)
Please read: Goode et al. in JWM, and Goode et al. 2005



WEEK 11

27 Mar

Lect. 20: Horned Lizard Biology; Wade Sherbrooke, Guest

Lab: continue with Snakes II (see handout from last week)
Foldi Colubrid I
Foldi's Snake Battle Video Links
Kahrs Colubrid I

29 March

Lect. 21 EXAM 2 (Chapters 5-7,10 in Pough et al.)
2007 Exam Two KEY
2007 Review Questions for 2nd Exam
2006 Review Questions for 2nd Exam
EXAM II from 2005
2nd Exam from 2004 (did not cover biogeography; did cover feeding which is not on the 2005 2nd exam)
EXAM II from 2003

Lab: continue snakes II and short lab lecture: Twinspot Rattlesnakes - D. Prival, Guest Speaker (Prival's Lecture)
Foldi Lab Quiz (Lizards, Crotalus, other non-colubrids)
Kahrs Lab Quiz (Lizards, Crotalus, other non-colubrids)



WEEK 12

03 Apr

Lect. 22 (or as 6 slides/page): Feeding (CH11 and Deban et al. 1997) OPTIONAL: Fry et al. 2005, Nature paper about reptilian venom evolution.
Parker/Bouse intro slides

Lab: continue with Snakes III (see handout from before)
Foldi Colubrids II
Kahrs Colubrids II

05 Apr Field Notes Due Today

Lect. 23 (or as 6 slides/page): Feeding (CH11); Movements and Orientation (CH12)

Lab: Guest: Jim Jarchow, DVM



WEEK 13

10 Apr

Lect. 24 (or as 6 slides/page): Movement (CH12) and Communication (CH13)

Lab: Snakes and Lizards; short lab presentation: Kevin Baker, Guest (snakes in the bootheel of New Mexico)

FT3 12 Apr Bouse Dunes (required of all students), meet 0930h to pack and leave at 1000h from south side BSE
FT3 13 Apr Bouse Dunes (required of all students)
FT3 14 Apr Bouse Dunes (required of all students)
FT3 15 Apr Bouse Dunes (required of all students), leave Bouse midday with expected 1900h return to Tucson



WEEK 14

17 Apr

Lect. 25 (or as 6 slides/page): Mating Systems and Sexual Selection (CH14); Steve Foldi guest speaker

Lab: Review for Practical, Enter Bouse Data

19 Apr

Lect. 26 (or as 6 slides/page): Finish Communication (CH13), Begin Foraging Ecology and Interspecific Interactions (CH15)

Lab: PRACTICAL TWO

FT4 Saturday 21 April Sycamore Canyon (optional), vans leave south side BSE at 0800h



WEEK 15

24 Apr

Lect. 25 (or as 6 slides/page): Invasive Species and Amphibian Conservation, David Kahrs guest speaker
Please read: Rosen and Schwalbe 2002 and Hanken 1999
optional: Blaustein and Johnson 2003

Lab: Peer Review of Research Papers. Bring a double-spaced copy of your paper!

26 Apr

Lect. 26 (or as 6 slides/page): Herp Conservation (CH17), Cecil Schwalbe guest speaker
Please also read: Whitfield Gibbons et al. 2000, and Rodda et al. 1997

Lab: Begin Oral Presentations in 1230 lab; 1430 lab TBA

FT5 Sunday 29 April Happy Valley (optional), vans leave south side BSE at 0800h



WEEK16+

Tuesday 01 May: Turn in final semester project manuscript in lecture

 01 May

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

Lab: Student Oral Presentations (ppt file to KEBonine by 0930h today)

Second Short Write-Up Due Wednesday 02 May by 2000h

Turn in Field Notes (and a copy of them) by 04 May 2007 Friday 1700h



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

2007 Review Sheet.
2006 Review Sheet for third portion of course (posted 03 May 2006).
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 2007