Requirements and Policies

Objectives: Herpetology is the scientific study of the biology of amphibians and reptiles. We will examine the evolutionary history of both groups, and learn about their basic biology, including anatomy, physiology, ecology, behavior, reproductive biology, and conservation biology. The laboratory emphasizes taxonomy of major groups of amphibians and reptiles, and techniques used to identify living and preserved specimens. There are various opportunities to observe these animals in the field, including several afternoon field trips (occurring during lab), and a weekend field trip to the Angelo Preserve, an area with fairly high amphibian and reptile diversity. The course involves numerous presentations by guest speakers, to give an appreciation of herpetology as a dynamic field populated by a diversity of approaches and different personalities. Students will leave the course with a good background in herpetology, and with a sound understanding of the diversity and distribution of amphibians and reptiles worldwide, with particular emphasis on northwestern California.

Instructors:

Dr. Sharyn Marks (on leave until early March 2004)
Office: Sci B 322
Phone: 826-5560
email: sbm1@axe.humboldt.edu
Office hours: M, W 1000-1050; Th 1100-1150		 Dr. James Howard (will cover lectures for the first 6 weeks)
Office: FR 101B
Phone: 826-3256
email: howard@humboldt.edu
Office hours: Tu, Th 5-6 p.m.

Miranda Haggarty (will cover labs for the first 7.5 weeks)
Office: WFB 122 (for office hours only)
Phone: N/A
email: squidgyfrog@yahoo.com
Office hours: M 12-1 p.m.

Required Books

Zug, G.R., L.J. Vitt, and J.P. Caldwell. 2001. Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles, 2nd Edition. Academic Press, San Diego, California.

Stebbins, R.C. 2003. A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, 2nd Edition. The Peterson Field Guide Series.  Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Massachusetts.

Lab packet - available as handouts on the Zoology 354 Blackboard site (http://blackboard.humboldt.edu)

Recommended Books (many of these are on reserve at the library)

Conant, R. and J.T. Collins. 1998. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians: Eastern and Central North America. 3rd Ed. expanded. The Peterson Field Guide Series. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.

Corkran, C.C. and C. Thoms. 1996. Amphibians of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia: A Field Identification Guide. Lone Pine Publishing, Edmonton, Alberta.

Duellman, W.E. and L. Trueb. 1986. Biology of Amphibians. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.

Greene, H.W. 1997. Snakes: The Evolution of Mystery in Nature. University of California Press, Berkeley.

Heyer, R.W., M.A. Donnelly, R.W. McDiarmid, L.C. Hayek, and M.S. Foster. 1994. Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity: Standard Methods for Amphibians. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 

Leonard, W.P., H.A. Brown, L.L.C. Jones, K.R. McAllister, and R.M. Storm. 1993. Amphibians of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society, Seattle.

Nussbaum, R.A., E.D. Brodie, Jr., R.M. Storm. 1983. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Pacific Northwest. University Press of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho.

Petranka, J.W. 1998. Salamanders of the United States and Canada. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C.

Pough, F.H., R.M. Andrews, J.E. Cadle, M.L. Crump, A.H. Savitzky, K.D. Wells. 2001. Herpetology. 2nd Edition. Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey.

Stebbins, R.C. and N.W. Cohen. 1995. A Natural History of Amphibians. Princeton University Press, Princeton.

Storm, R.M. and W.P. Leonard (eds.). 1995. Reptiles of Washington and Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society, Seattle.

Required Equipment for Lab

Recommended Course Equipment

For the field, you will find it helpful to have rubber boots, warm clothing, and rain gear.  If you have hip waders you may want to bring them along on aquatic field trips.  For the weekend field trip to the Angelo Preserve you will need a sleeping bag and a strong flashlight or headlamp.

For the lab, we highly recommend you purchase a clear plastic ruler (with metric and English scales) and a hand lens.  Both are available at the HSU bookstore.

Grading

Your final grade will be based on your performance in lecture and lab as follows*:

Lecture exam I
Lecture exam II 
Lecture final exam
Lab quizzes (5 @ 10 points each)
Lab practical I (Amphibians)
Lab practical II (Reptiles)
Research controversy paper 
Angelo Preserve field trip

TOTAL
 100 points
100
150
50
100
100
100
100
50
-------
750

* There may be additional assignments not included in this summary.

Grading is on a straight scale -- i.e., there is not a curve.  Final letter grades will be assigned based on the percentage of total points you earn as follows: A = 90-100%, B = 80-89%, C = 70-79%, D = 60-69%, F = 0-59%.  Plus- and minus-grades will be assigned within these ranges.  Clerical errors in tallying points on exams must be brought to the instructor's attention within a week after return of the exam.

Course policies and expectations

  1. Attendance: Attendance is mandatory during the first week of classes.  Throughout the course, you are expected to attend all class meetings, be prepared, and be on time.  If you must miss a lab due to illness or some other pressing obligation (e.g., medical needs, job interviews, professional meetings, or family emergencies), we may be able to work this out if you discuss it with me early enough.
  2. Missed exams: Make-up lecture exams and lab quizzes may be arranged only upon demonstration of serious extenuating circumstances (e.g., serious illness, family emergency, etc.).  In the case of illness, you will need formal documentation (e.g., a note from your doctor or the Student Health Center).  Other reasons for requesting a make-up will be examined on a case by case basis.  Any special arrangements involving an exam or quiz must be made before the start of the exam; if you can't reach me directly you should leave a message at my office phone # or with the Biology Dept. secretary).  Making up a lab practical exam is not ordinarily possible, as they take vast amounts of time to set up and take down.
  3. Drop policy. After the University deadline (Feb. 16), the course may be dropped only for serious and compelling reasons. In accord with University policy, we interpret "serious and compelling" to mean "unforeseeable."  Illness, sudden impoverishment, and similar catastrophes qualify; poor academic performance does not.  April 16 is the last day to drop for any reason.  Incomplete (I) is given only when extenuating circumstances prevent you from completing work in the course; earlier exam scores stand unchanged.  Per University policy, an "I" grade remaining incomplete after one year will automatically be changed to "F".
  4. Students with disabilities.  Please discuss your needs with me during the first week of classes.  If you will be taking exams at the Testing Center, we ask that you remind we of this at least two business days prior to the scheduled exam.