BIOL 4435 Herpetology

Course Description                    Course Outline                          Required Text Books    

Other Required Materials            Literature Assignment                Marking Scheme        

 

       

        Capturing leopard frogs during a field trip in 2005

 

 

Instructor: Dr. S.J. Hecnar            Office: CB 4039

Lectures: 11:30 am - 1:00 pm T & Th AT 1005        Res. Lab: CB 3021

Laboratory: Friday 2:30-5:30 pm, CB 3013                            Tel: 343-8250

Office hours: Monday and Wednesday - TBA

Email: shecnar@lakeheadu.ca

 

Lab Technician: D.R. Hecnar        Teaching Assistant: TBA

Office: CB 3021          Office hours: TBA                         Tel: 343-8670

Email: drhecnar@lakeheadu.ca

 

Course Description: Origin, structure, life history, distribution, ecology and conservation of amphibians and reptiles. A survey of living families. Special attention is focused on species occurring in Canada, particularly those in Ontario.

 

1) Vitt, L.J., and J.P. Caldwell. 2014. Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles, 4th edition. Academic Press, San Diego. 734 pp. ISBN 978-0-12-386918-7

 

2) Conant, R., and J.T. Collins. 1998. A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians: Eastern and Central North America. 3rd edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 616 pp. ISBN 0-395-90452-8

 

3) Powell, R., J.T. Collins, and E.D. Hooper, Jr. 2012. A Key to Amphibians and Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada. University Press of Kansas, Lawrence KS. 66049. 131 pp. ISBN 0-7006-0929-6

 

Other Required Materials: The lab manual is available for downloading on the Desire2Learn site for the course. An audio tape or cd of frog calls is available for loan from the technician. A small deposit is required and will be refunded upon return if the media is undamaged. Students should have their own dissecting kit, safety glasses and rubber gloves or may rent/purchase these from the Biology technicians. Proper attire (e.g. rubber boots) should be worn for field trips.

 

 

Vitt, L.J., and J.P. Caldwell. 2009.  Herpetology: An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles, 3rd Edition.  Associated Press, San Diego.  697 pp. ISBN: 978-0-12-374346-6.  This former edition may be used as a substitute for the 4th edition but systematics and taxonomy will be dated.

 

Pough, F.H., R.M. Andrews, J.E. Cadle, M.L. Crump, A.H. Savitsky, and K.D. Wells. 2001. Herpetology, 2nd edition. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, N.J. 07458. 612 pp. ISBN 0-13-030795-5. An alternative text to Pough et al. 2001 above (1). A used copy of the 1st edition (1998) can also be used.

 

Harding, J.H. 1997. Amphibians and Reptiles of the Great Lakes Region. University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor. 378 pp. ISBN 0472066285. A good field guide with detailed natural history information on species occurring in the Great Lakes Basin.

 

MacCulloch, R.D. 2002. The ROM Field Guide to Amphibians and Reptiles of Ontario. McClelland & Stewart Ltd., Toronto. 168 pp. ISBN 0771076517. A good compact fieldguide with excellent photographs covering Ontario species.

 

Sheldon, A.B.  2006.  Amphibians & Reptiles of the North Woods. Northwoods Naturalist Series, Kollath+Stensaas Publishing, Duluth, MN. 148 pp. ISBN 9780967379388. A good compact fieldguide with excellent photographs of each lifestage for species occurring in MN, WI, MI & ON.

Elliot, L., C. Gerhardt, and C. Davidson.  2009.  The Frogs and Toads of North America: A Comprehensive Guide to Their Identification, Behavior, and Calls.  Houghton, Mifflin Harcourt.  A good general guide with excellent photographs and a CD of calls.

 

Elliott, L. 1997. The Calls of Frogs and Toads. NatureSound Studio, Ithaca, NY

<http://www.naturesound.com/frogs/frogs.html > An excellent CD of North American frog calls accompanied by a booklet.

 

Marking Scheme:Midterm 25%, Lab 35%, Final Exam 40%

Examination format - Combination of any or all of the following: fill in the blanks, true or false, multiple choice, definitions, short answers, essays, labeling, drawing.

Lab Mark - Consists of lab examination, quizzes, short assignments.

 

Reserve Material/Literature Assignment: We have been adding to the Paterson Library holdings in herpetology annually depending upon available budget. The library now subscribes to several herpetological journals.  Therefore, supplemental reading material in the form of primary literature will be provided for your use on reserve. Topics of papers will be chosen to complement or augment lecture topics. These papers will be held in a folder at the circulation desk of the library for loan/copying. Each student must provide evidence that they have read and comprehend at least five papers from journals or reprints in the reserve collection. Alternatively, if a student has a special interest in herpetology, they may select other papers in herpetology in lieu of the reserve collection.  Many papers are available to download in pdf format from the Center for North American Herpetology website <http://www.cnah.org> or from Google Scholar (after a keyword search). A report consisting of a one page summary and review for each paper read must be handed in before the last lab of the semester. This report will not be used in calculating the final mark but must be satisfactorily completed in order for a final mark to be forwarded to the registrar's office. A grade of 'Incomplete' will be submitted if the report is not received or if it is unsatisfactory.

 

Herpetological Journals: There are nearly 100 journals, bulletins and newsletters that publish articles in herpetology (see<http://herplit.com/contents> for complete list). Some of the more important international peer-reviewed journals are listed below. Papers dealing with herpetological matters are also published in many general biology and ecology journals.

 

Alytes - published by the International Society for the Study and Conservation of

            Amphibians

Amphibia-Reptilia - published by the Societas Europaea Herpetologica

Applied Herpetology - focus on relations between humans and amphibians and reptiles

Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles - serial of species accounts published by

            SSAR

Chelonian Conservation and Biology - articles on turtle and tortoise research

Contemporary Herpetology - online journal sponsored by the CNAH

Copeia - published by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists

Herpetologica - international journal published by the herpetologists League

Herpetological Conservation & Biology - online journal

Herpetological Monographs - lengthy papers published by the Herpetologists League

Herpetological Notes - online journal for short notes

Herpetological Natural History - focus on natural history information

Herpetological Review - short articles and news published by the SSAR

Journal of Herpetology - international journal published by the SSAR

The Herpetological Journal - international journal of the British Herpetological Society

 

Herpetology on the World Wide Web: There are many websites dealing with various aspects of herpetology. As with any web-based sites the quality of information varies. Good information can generally be found on academic, government, professional herpetological society, and many non-governmental web pages. Here are a few useful resources...

 

<http://www.globalamphibians.org/index.html> Results of the joint IUCN and NatureServe Global Amphibian Assessment which contains extensive information about all known extant species of amphibians.

 

http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/narcam/idguide/index.htm U.S.G.S. amphibian site - identification, photos, & distribution of North American species.

 

http://www.amphibiaweb.org/ AmphibiaWeb - U.C. Berkeley project offering information on all species of amphibians.

 

<http://www.open.ac.uk/daptf/>I.U.C.N. Declining Amphibian Population Task Force.

 

http://www.embl-heidelberg.de/~uetz/LivingReptiles.html EMBL database on reptiles of the world.

 

http://www.naturewatch.ca/cgi-bin/quiz/step1.asp The Great Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Quiz - a good interactive test of your knowledge of identifying Canadian species by photographs or calls.

 

http://www.carcnet.ca/ Canadian Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Network - Canada's working group website offering information on Canadian herpetological issues.

 

http://www.mpm.edu/collect/vertzo/herp/atlas/welcome.html Wisconsin Herpetological Webpage - an excellent site offering information on many species that also occur in Ontario. Links to state DNR herp pages.

 

http://www.ssarherps.org/ The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles which publishes the Journal of Herpetology and Herpetological Review.

 

http://www.herplit.com/herplit/ A searchable database of herpetological papers which includes many abstracts.

 

http://www.mnr.gov.on.ca/MNR/nhic/herps/ohs.html Ontario Herpetofaunal Summary Atlas - range maps of all Ontario species.

 

http://www.cnah.org/>Centre for North American Herpetology - a good source of information for North America with access to many downloadable journal papers in pdf format and links to other useful sources.

 

Other Information: In this course we will be covering a lot of material. An advantage of an 'ology' course is that it concerns all aspects of the biology of the organisms concerned and can thus serve as a 'capstone' course for senior undergraduates.  Although there are no specific prerequisites beyond first year biology, being a senior course, I assume that students understand basic biological, ecological, and evolutionary principles. Space may be limited so preference in registration may be given to senior biology majors or by special permission of the instructor. Maintaining good attendance is for your own benefit. Examination questions often come from poorly attended lectures. Noise or distractions will not be tolerated. Cellular phones must be turned off during lectures. With good attendance and study the student will leave this course with a good knowledge of herpetology and Ontario's herpetofauna.

 

 

1.  Introduction

2.  Differences & Similarities Between Amphibians and Reptiles

3.  Origin & Evolution of Tetrapoda: Amphibians

4.  Origin & Evolution of Tetrapods: Reptiles

5.  Phylogeny & Systematics

6.  Classification of Extant Amphibians - Caecilians

7.  Classification of Extant Amphibians - Salamanders

8.  Classification of Extant Amphibians - Anurans

9.  Classification of Extant Reptiles - Turtles, Tortoises & Sphenodonts

10. Classification of Extant Reptiles - Lizards & Snakes

11. Classification of Extant Reptiles - Crocodilians

12. Survey of Ontario Amphibians

13. Survey of Ontario Amphibians

14. Survey of Ontario Amphibians

15. Survey of Ontario Reptiles

16. Survey of Ontario Reptiles

17. Survey of Ontario Reptiles

18. Midterm Exam TBA

19. Temperature & Water Relations

20. Temperature & Water Relations

21. Energetics: Gas Exchange

22. Energetics: Metabolism & Performance

23. Reproduction & Genetics

24. Life Cycles & Life History

25. Feeding

26. Body Structure & Locomotion

27. Movements & Orientation

28. Communication

29. Ecology: Biotic & Abiotic Interactions

30. Ecology: Species Assemblages

31. Ecology: Spatial & Temporal Dynamics

32. Biogeography

33. Human Exploitation

34. Conservation: Amphibians

35. Conservation: Reptiles

36. TBA

 

 

1.  Introduction to Herpetology

2.  Diversity of Amphibians

3.  Diversity of Reptiles

4.  Diversity of the Ontario Herpetofauna

5.  Frog & Toad Calls

6.  Structure of Anurans (Frog dissection)

7.  Structure of Caudata (Mudpuppy dissection)

8.  Structure of Serpents (Garter snake dissection)

9.  Structure of Testudines (Turtle dissection)

10. Field Methods and Equipment

11. Review for Lab Exam

12. Lab Exam (comprehensive) - Friday March 28th.

 

 

SCIENTIFIC NAME                        COMMON NAME                         COSEWIC STATUS

 

 

 

Ambystoma jeffersonianum            Jefferson Salamander                    Threatened

Ambystoma laterale                       Blue-spotted Salamander

Ambystoma maculatum                 Spotted Salamander

Ambystoma texanum                     Small-mouthed Salamander           Endangered

Ambystoma tigrinum                      Tiger Salamander                          Extirpated

 

Desmognathus fuscus                   Northern Dusky Salamander           Endangered

Desmognathus ochrophaeus          Allegheny Mountain Dusky Sal.       Endangered

Eurycea bislineata                         Northern Two-lined Salamander

Gyrinophilus porphyriticus               Spring Salamander                        Special Concern

Hemidactylium scutatum                Four-toed Salamander                    Not at risk

Plethodon cinereus                        Eastern Red-backed Salamander

Pseudotriton ruber                         Red Salamander

 

Necturus maculosus                     Common Mudpuppy                        Not at risk

 

Notophthalmus viridescens            Eastern Newt

 

 

Bufo americanus                            American Toad

Bufo fowleri                                    Fowler's Toad                                Threatened(ON)/Endangered(CA)

 

Acris crepitans                               Northern Cricket Frog                     Endangered

Hyla chrysoscelis                            Cope's Gray Treefrog                     Not at Risk

Hyla versicolor                                Gray Treefrog

Pseudacris triseriata                       Western Chorus Frog                     NAR(Carolinian)/Threatened(GLSL)

Pseudacris crucifer                         Spring Peeper

Pseudacris maculata                       Boreal Chorus Frog

 

Rana catesbeiana                            American Bullfrog

Rana clamitans                               Green Frog

Rana palustris                                 Pickerel Frog                                Not at Risk

Rana pipiens                                   Northern Leopard Frog                   Not at Risk

Rana septentrionalis                        Mink Frog

Rana sylvatica                                 Wood Frog

 

 

 

Chelydra serpentina                           Snapping Turtle                   Special Concern

 

Chrysemys picta                                Painted Turtle                       

Clemmys guttata                                Spotted Turtle                            Endangered

Glyptemys insculpta                           Wood Turtle                Endangered(ON)/Threatened(CA)

Emydoidea blandingii                         Blanding's Turtle                         Threatened

Graptemys geographica                     Northern Map Turtle                     Special Concern

Terrapene carolina                             Eastern Box Turtle                      Data Deficient

Trachemys scripta                             Pond Slider

Sternotherus odoratus                        Stinkpot                                     Threatened

 

Apalone spinifera                               Spiny Softshell                            Threatened

 

 

Eumeces fasciatus                            Common Five-lined Skink       Endangered-Carolinian

                                                                                             Special Concern-Gt. Lakes

Coluber constrictor                            Eastern Racer                            Endangered

Diadophis punctatus                          Ring-necked Snake

Elaphe obsoleta                                Black Ratsnake                     Endangered

Elaphe gloydi                                    Eastern Foxsnake    Threatened(ON)/Endangered(CA)

Heterodon platirhinos                         Eastern Hog-nosed Snake           Threatened

Lampropeltis triangulum                     Milksnake                                  Special Concern

Nerodia sipedon                                Northern Watersnake              Endangered-Lake Erie

                                                                                                         Not at Risk

Regina septemvittata                         Queen Snake                             Endangered

Storeria dekayi                                  Dekay's Brownsnake                   Not at Risk

Storeria occipitomaculata                   Red-bellied Snake

Thamnophis butleri                            Butler's Gartersnake                    Threatened

Thamnophis sauritus                         Eastern Ribbonsnake                   Special Concern

Thamnophis sirtalis                           Gartersnake

Opheodrys vernalis                            Comm Smooth Greensnake

 

Crotalus horridus                               Timber Rattlesnake                       Extirpated

Sistrurus catenatus                            Massasauga                                Threatened