Herpetology

BIO 164 - Spring 2005

Instructor:        Dr. William E. Avery Phone: 278-6279

                         SCI 412 E-mail: averyw@csus.edu

Office Hours: Dr. Avery: M/W 11:00-12:00; T 2:00-3:00 pm or by appointment

Class Time: Lectures : M 1:30-3:15 25294 HMB 124

                     Labs: W 1:30-4:20 25295 HMB 124

The Course: Natural history, biogeography, systematics, survey techniques, conservation issues, and identification of amphibians and reptiles with emphasis on California species. Lectures generally emphasize concepts and labs emphasize skills. Field trips are required.

Prerequisites: BIO 10, 11 completed prior to class

Texts:      1) Haliday T and K Adler (eds.) 2002 Firefly Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. Firefly Books

                2) Stebbins RC 2003 A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians 3^rd ed. Houghton Mifflen

Field Notes: You will be required to keep a separate bound notebook for lab and field trip notes observations/drawings etc.

Exams: All exams will consist of approximately 1/3 multiple choice; 1/3 short answer and 1/3 brief essay. Final exam will be ½ new material and ½ comprehensive. Lab exams will consist of 25 practical stations, 90 seconds each. Lab exams are not comprehensive.

Projects:

A. Create a display poster describing a current (ongoing or completed within the last five years) research or conservation project associated with a CA Listed Species (provide digital version to instructor). Include the following section (topics): TitleIntroduction (recent photo of species; listing status history and justification; habitat description; range map: historic vs. current); Project (background, methods, results, conclusions, include citations from interview with professional authority/fieldworker; Literature Cited; Additional Bibliography ( include species' common and scientific name and descriptors for the research); (optional).

B. Create a display poster proposing a possible future habitat and population assessment project associated with a CA Listed Species (provide digital version to instructor). Survey protocols to be followed must be USFWS or CDFG approved, published and cited in the Literature Cited section of your poster. Protocols are typically available on the Internet. In your poster please include the following section (topics): Title (include species' common and scientific name and descriptors for the habitat/population assessment); Introduction (recent photo of species; listing status history and justification; habitat description; range map: historic vs. current); Proposal (background, methods, results, conclusions, include citations from interview with professional authority/fieldworker; Literature Cited ; Additional Bibliography (optional).

Reading Assignments:

1 H & A pp. 8-10; Stebbins pp 1-24

2a H & A pp. 10-13; 20-21; 98-103

2b H & A pp. 106-107, Zug Ch 3 (on reserve)

3a H & A pp. 14-15; 22-23; 36-37; 103; 108-109

3b Stebbins pp. 20-34

4a H & A pp. 38-63

4b Stebbins pp.151-198

5a H & A pp. 64-97

5b Stebbins pp. 199-245

8a H & A pp. 118-133; 212-221

8b Stebbins pp. 246-262

10a H & A pp. 138-177; 210-211

10b Stebbins pp. 263-339

11a H & A pp. 178-209

11b Stebbins pp. 340-418

14a H & A pp. 60-61; 92-97; 114-117; 136-137; 224-225

14b Stebbins pp. 20-24 (review); Frog and Toad Calls of the Pacific Coast (reserve with CD)

15a H & A pp. 30-33; 110-111; 134-135

15b Handout (Care of Captives); reading TBA

16 Review 15a material; reading TBA

Tentative Lecture Schedule