Herpetology

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EEB 3265/5265 Herpetology
Spring 2013

Lecture Meeting Time: Mondays and Wednesdays, 11:00 - 11:50 in TLS181
Lab Meeting Time: Mondays 1:00 - 5:00 in TLS181
Textbook: Pough F. H., et al. 2004. Herpetology 3rd Edition. Pearson Prentice Hall.
Additional readings will be assigned from the primary journal literature.

Instructors

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Dr. Kentwood Wells
Email: kentwood.wells@uconn.edu
Office: Torrey Life Sciences Building 312
Phone: (860) 486-4319
Office hours: by appointment

Johana Goyes Vallejos (Teaching Assistant)
Email: johana.goyes@uconn.edu
Office: Torrey Life Sciences Building 379
Phone: (860) 486-6215
Office hours: TBD, and by appointment


Course Procedures and Policies

Photo by E. K. Timpe
Photo by A. Shepack
Photo by E. K. Timpe
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Pdficon small.gif Course Procedures 2011
Pdficon small.gif Lecture Schedule 2011
Pdficon small.gif Lab Schedule 2011


The lecture portion of this course will deal with various aspects of the biology of amphibians and reptiles, including physiological ecology, communication, social behavior, reproduction, parental care, and community ecology. The laboratories will focus on the classification and distribution of the major families of amphibians and reptiles of the world, as well as identification of Connecticut species. There will be some evening field trips toward the end of the semester to see breeding of local amphibians and daytime field trips to see other species. Students are expected to attend the field trips.

Field Trips:
There will be a scheduled field trip to the Yale Forest during lab time Monday, April 25th. There will be additional evening field trips once the weather is warm enough. We will begin evening field trips as soon as the first amphibians start breeding, which could be as early as late March. Many of these will be arranged on short notice. We will try to do enough of these so that everyone has a chance to get out in the field a few times.

Readings:
The emphasis in this course in on readings from original literature. I will be handing out detailed reference bibliographies with each lecture; assigned readings will be marked with * on each bibliography. Those marked with † are available online and will not be supplied in hard copy. Xeroxed copies of papers not available online will be in the green filing cabinet in my outer office (TLS 380) and can be signed out. Please do not monopolize these readings for long periods of time, since it is impossible for me to make enough copies for the entire class. The course textbook is Herpetology (3rd ed.) by F. H. Pough, R. M. Andrews, J. E. Cadle, M. L. Crump, A. H. Savitzky, and K. D. Wells (Prentice Hall, 2004). An illustrated guide, Amphibians and Reptiles in Connecticut: A Checklist with Notes on Conservation Status, Identification, and Distribution by Michael Klemens (Connecticut DEP, 2000), may be useful as an additional reference for local species and can be ordered if students are interested.

Exams:
There will be two lecture exams. The midterm will be given sometime in March, perhaps as a take-home exam. The final exam will be essay format, given on May 8. For the final, I will hand out ten questions two weeks in advance, which you can prepare using class notes and readings. Several of these questions will appear on the final exam given during the scheduled exam period. You will not be able to bring any reference materials or notes to the exam. There will be two lab practicals covering taxonomy, distribution, and natural history of amphibians and reptiles.

Grades:
Grades will be determined approximately as follows:
Lab Practicals: 20% each
Midterm: 20%
Final: 40%

Academic Integrity:
Plagiarism and cheating are violations of the student conduct code, and may be punished by failure in the course or, in severe cases, dismissal from the University. For more information, see Appendix A of the Student Conduct Code.

Disabilities:
If you have a disability for which you may be requesting an accommodation, you should contact a course instructor and the Center for Students with Disabilities (Wilbur Cross Building, Room 201) within the first two weeks of the semester.






Lecture and Lab Schedule & Materials

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Photo by E. K. Timpe
Photo by E. K. Timpe
Photo by E. K. Timpe
Photo by E. K. Timpe



Date Lecture Topic Readings Lab Supplemental Materials
Jan 23 Amphibians: Diversity and Morphological Evolution Ch. 1, 2, 3, 8
Jan 28 Reptiles: Diversity and Morphological Evolution Ch. 1, 4, 8, 9 Caecilian and Salamander Taxonomy Pdficon small.gifGymnophiona/Urodela Lab
Salamander Videos
Salamanders of CT.pdf
Amphibians of CT website
Jan 26 Amphibian Skin and Water Relations Ch. 6
Jan 31 Amphibian Excretion and Osmoregulation Ch. 6 Salamander Taxonomy; Video: Amphibians
Feb 2 Lecture Cancelled due to Snow Ch. 6
Feb 4 Lecture Makeup - Reptile Water Relations Ch. 6 Pdficon small.gif Lecture 5 Reptile Water Relations Lecture
Feb 7 Behavioral Thermoregulation in Reptiles Ch. 6 Frog Taxonomy Pdficon small.gifAnuran Lab
Pdficon small.gif Anuran Taxonomy Lab Handout Supplement
Pdficon small.gifHerpetology Glossary
Feb 9 Amphibian Thermoregulation and Freeze Tolerance Ch. 6
Feb 14 Physiological Temperature Adjustments Ch. 6 Frog Taxonomy; Video: Cane Toads Pdficon small.gif Amphibian Practice Questions/Study Guide
Feb 16 Gas Transport and Metabolism in Amphibians Ch. 7
Feb 18 Open lab time to prepare for practical 1PM-4PM
Feb 20 Open lab time to prepare for practical 12PM-4PM
Feb 21 Active Metabolism of Amphibians Ch. 7 Turtles and Crocodilians; Amphibian Review; Video: Crocodiles & Alligators, Turtles
Heretology Jeopardy (Herpardy)
Pdficon small.gifCrocodilians/Turtles Lab
Pdficon small.gif Turtle Review Questions

Pdficon small.gifReptile Definitions

Feb 23 Respiration and Circulation in Reptiles Ch. 7 Open lab time to prepare for practical 6PM-9PM Pdficon small.gifRespiration and Circulation in Reptiles Lecture Slides
Feb 25 Open lab time to prepare for practical 1PM-4PM
Feb 27 Open lab time to prepare for practical 11AM - 7PM
Feb 28 Reptile Metabolism, Energetics, and Diet Ch. 7 FIRST LAB PRACTICAL (Amphibians)
Mar 2 Energy Budgets and Energy Allocation Ch. 7 Pdficon small.gif Wells 2001 Calling Energetics in Anurans
Mar 7 SPRING BREAK ---------- SPRING BREAK
Mar 9 SPRING BREAK ----------
Mar 14 Amphibian Reproductive Modes Ch. 8 Lizard Taxonomy Pdficon small.gif Lizard Lab
Pdficon small.gif Lizard Study Guide
Pdficon small.gifLizard Review Questions
Mar 16 Lecture Cancelled - Biology of Amphibian Larvae Ch. 8, 11 Pdficon small.gif Lecture 15 Biol. of Amphibian Larvae Lecture
Mar 17 Open lab 1PM - 5PM
Mar 20 Open lab 1PM - 5PM
Mar 21 Ecological Aspects of Amphibian Metamorphosis Ch. 8 Lizard Taxonomy; Video: Lizards
Mar 23 Reptile Eggs and the Evolution of Viviparity Ch. 9 Open lab 4PM - 7:30PM
Mar 27 Open lab 11AM - 4PM
Mar 28 Reptile Life History Strategies Ch. 9 Snake Taxonomy Pdficon small.gifSnake Lab
Pdficon small.gifSnake Practice Questions
Snakes of Connecticut
Mar 30 Communication and Mating Systems of Salamanders Ch. 13, 14
Mar 31 Open lab 5PM - 9PM
Apr 4 Frog Vocal Communication: Behavioral Aspects Ch. 13 Snake Taxonomy; Evolution of Snake Dentition Pdficon small.gif Wells and Schwartz 2007 Anuran Communication
Apr 6 Frog Vocal Communication: Call Production and Reception Ch. 13 Open lab 5PM - 9PM
Apr 7 FIELD TRIP - Meet at TLS at 7:30 PM. Bring headlamp if you have one.
Apr 8 Open lab 1PM - 5PM
Apr 9 Open lab 1PM - 5PM
Apr 11 Mating Systems and Sexual Selection in Anurans Ch. 14 Video: Snakes; Reptile Review; Herpardy
FIELD TRIP - Meet at TLS at 7:30 PM.
Pdficon small.gifReptile Review Questions (multichoice)
Pdficon small.gif Reptile HERPardy
Apr 12 Open lab 5PM - 9PM
Apr 13 Modes of Communication in Squamate Reptiles Ch. 13 Open lab 5PM - 9PM
Apr 14 Open lab 5PM - 9PM
Apr 15 Open lab 1PM - 5PM
Apr 16 Open lab 12PM - 6PM
Apr 17 Open lab 10AM - 8PM
Apr 18 Mating Systems and Sexual Selection in Squamates Ch. 14 SECOND LAB PRACTICAL (Reptiles)
Apr 20 Social Behavior and Communication in other Reptiles Ch. 13, 14
Apr 25 Ecology of Terrestrial Amphibian and Reptile Communities Ch. 15, 16 Field Trip (Yale Forest)
woot woot
Apr 27 Competition and Predation in Aquatic Amphibian Communities Ch. 15, 16
Apr 28 FIELD TRIP - Meet at TLS at 8 PM.
May 4 FINAL EXAM, , 10:30-12:30 ----------





Additional Resources

Photo by E. K. Timpe
Photo by E. K. Timpe

UConn Herpetology Club:
The formation of a UConn herpetology club is in the works for Fall 2011! If interested in becoming a member, please contact Danielle Freeman

Websites:

Digimorph

Local
Online Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of CT
Reptiles and Amphibians of CT
New England Herpetological Society

Amphibians
Video about Amphibian Extinction
Amphibiaweb
AMNH's Amphibian Species of the World
Amphibian Portal from USGS-NBII
Deban Lab Amphibian Feeding

General Herpetology
Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles
American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
The Herpetologists' League
The Center for North American Herpetology
Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation
New England Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation
EMYSystem Online Turtle Resource
HerpNET
eNature Online Field Guides


Herps in the News

Photo by E. K. Timpe

Apr 21, 2011: Snake Cagematch
Apr 12, 2011: Symbiotic Salamander
Mar 29, 2011: How a Tentacled Snake (Erpeton tentaculatum) Eats
Mar 25, 2011: Indomitable Snow Frogs
Feb 27, 2011: Lizards and Lyme Disease
Feb 27, 2011: CT's Endangered Turtles
Feb 27, 2011: 25 Most Endangered Turtles
Feb 27, 2011: Sea Turtle Navigation
Feb 21, 2011: Short-lived Chameleons
Feb 19, 2011: Rediscovered Frogs
Feb 14, 2011: How snakes get legless THANKS BILL!!
Feb 10, 2011: Spotted Salamander, Photosynthetic?
Jan 31, 2011: Frogs Re-evolved Lost Lower Teeth
Jan 26, 2011: Phobia of Snakes Explained
Jan 17, 2011: Salamander Eggs Turn off Cancer
Jan 14, 2011: Reduced Cali Tiger Salamander Habitat
Jan 14, 2011: NY Zoo works to save the hellbender
Jan 12, 2011: Haiti's Lost Frogs