Course Goals:

•         Learn to identify preserved and living larval and adult amphibians and reptiles of the United States. This course will deal mostly with U.S. amphibians and reptiles with an emphasis on herps of the Great Plains. You should recognize major taxonomic groups of the world.

•         Develop skills needed to locate and identify herps in the field.

•         Be familiar with the taxonomy, terminology, and sources of literature involving amphibians and reptiles.

Course Objectives:

•         Know the orders and major families of the classes Amphibia and Reptilia.

•         Learn the taxonomy, physiology, ecology, and reproductive biology of the classes Amphibia and Reptilia.

•         Learn proper husbandry for keeping amphibians and reptiles in a laboratory setting.

Academic Dishonesty: The Department of Biological Sciences considers academic dishonesty, including but not limited to cheating and plagiarism, as a serious breach of intellectual integrity. The department adheres to and supports the university academic dishonesty policy. A full copy of the policy may be obtained from the instructor. If you are caught cheating on an exam or copying answers for your assignments from another student you will receive no points for that exam or assignment.

Disabilities Services: “Emporia State University will make reasonable accommodations for persons with documented disabilities. Students need to contact the Director of Disability Services and the professor as early in the semester as possible to ensure that classroom and academic accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. All communication between students, the Office of Disability Services, and the professor will be strictly confidential.”

NOTE: I may have to deviate from the following tentative schedule and due to weather the field trips may be moved.

Tentative Lecture and Lab Schedule

NOTE: The last day to withdraw from the class with a "W" is June 22.