Herpetology (WFSC 315), Spring 2016, page 1 Herpetology (WFSC 315) (W 1:50-3:40 Nagle Hall room 104; Lab Tuesday 12:45-2:30; 3:00-4:40, TCWC) Professor: Lee A. Fitzgerald lfitzgerald@tamu.edu 862-7480, office hours by appointment Teaching Assistant: Kristina Chyn; kchyn@tamu.edu; BRTC: 845-5783 TEXTBOOKS: Vitt, and Caldwell. 2013. Herpetology, an introductory biology of amphibians and reptiles, 4th Edition, Academic Press Robert Powell, Joseph T. Collins, Errol D. Hooper. A Key to Amphibians & Reptiles of the Continental United States and Canada (Paperback) 150 pages, 257 illustrations, 8-1/2 x 11 Paper ISBN 978-0-7006-0929-1. OPTIONAL: Conant, R. and J.T. Collins. A field guide to reptiles and amphibians of eastern and central North America. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston. COURSE DESCRIPTION This one semester course will review the phylogenetic relationships, diversity and biology of the amphibians and reptiles. Herpetology will focus on the evolution of reptile and amphibian lineages and the evolutionary ecology (i.e., diversity of reproductive strategies, foraging modes, life histories) of the major groups. Evolutionary trends among and within the orders and families of amphibians and reptiles will be reviewed in conjunction with geological events, anatomy, physiology, behavior, and life history. Labs will introduce students to the global diversity of reptiles and amphibians, then concentrate on the herpetofauna of Texas. Lab must be taken concurrently. COURSE GOALS Upon completion of this course the successful student should have a familiarity of all the families (appearance, distribution, basic biology) of amphibians and reptiles of the world; be exposed to interesting areas of research that use amphibians and reptiles as study organisms; have a working ability to identify all amphibian and reptile species from Texas. GRADING SCHEME FOR HERPETOLOGY WFSC315 ATTENDANCE IS REQUIRED. We only meet on Wednesdays. I will take roll every time. Grade penalty: 2.5% off final average for each class missed. Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy Statement The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Department of Student Life, Services for Students with Disabilities, in Cain Hall or call 845-1637. AGGIE HONOR CODE An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal or tolerate those who do. Upon accepting admission to Texas A&M University, a student immediately assumes a commitment to uphold the Honor Code, to accept responsibility for learning, and to follow the philosophy and rules of the Honor System. Students will be required to state their commitment on examinations, research papers, and other academic work. Ignorance of the rules does not exclude any member of the TAMU community from the requirements or the processes of the Honor System. Pledge for all work in this course: On my honor, as an Aggie, I have neither given nor received unauthorized aid on this academic work."
Herpetology (WFSC 315), Spring 2016, page 2 HERPETOLOGY (WFSC 315) LECTURE SCHEDULE Typical organization of herpetology lecture periods Lecture is Wednesday afternoon, 1:50-3:40 for a total of 110 minutes. We will take attendance and I will only accept university-excused absences. Each lecture period will be broken down approximately as follows: 40 minutes formal lecture 10 minutes for a multiple-choice quiz 5-10 minute break 25 minutes more regular lecture or active learning 25 minute literature discussion or 5-minute presentation WED TENTATIVE LECTURE TOPIC 20 Jan Overview of herpetology course, reading assignments Life History Theory- an integrative lens for herpetology Special Guest: Jared Holmes, Bamberger Ranch: http://bambergerranch.org/ 27 Jan Lecture Quiz 1 Diversity of salamanders and heterochrony; courtship in salamanders 3 Feb Biology of Frogs. Communication in anurans; Declining amphibians and conservation; 10 Feb Lecture Quiz 2 Diversity and adaptations of Caecilians Diversity and adaptations of Amphisbaenians 17 Feb Thermoregulation Water relations, Energetics, Performance 24 Feb Lecture Quiz 3 Catch-up Day 2 Mar LECTURE EXAM I (100 POINTS) 9 Mar Evolution and life history of turtles Rhyncocephalia: Survey of Family and Conservation 16 Mar HAPPY SPRING BREAK! MARCH 14-18. GO FIND SOME HERPS! 23 Mar Lecture Quiz 4 Community ecology and foraging ecology of squamates 30 March Evolution and life history of crocodilians; Conservation of Crocodilians Ecological Integration Symposium Thursday 31 March. Plan to attend the lectures by world-famous ecologists and conservationists. 6 April Lecture Quiz 5 Defense and Escape; Life history and ecology of snakes 13 April Catch-up Day 20 April Lecture Quiz 6 Herpetological conservation -- Community-based management case studies: Tupinambis lizards, Red-Footed tortoises. SPECIES ACCOUNTS WITH THOROUGH ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE 20 APRIL 5PM 27 April LECTURE EXAM II (100 POINTS); Diversity of Herpetofauna fact sheets are due today. 4 May NO CLASS (READING DAY); NO FINAL EXAM.
LITERATURE AND VIDEO DISCUSSIONS Herpetology (WFSC 315), Spring 2016, page 3 We will devote 25 minutes during several classes to discuss current technical literature relevant to the study of herpetology and perhaps some videos. Readings or videos will be assigned a week in advance. You will be QUIZZED on the discussion papers during lecture quizzes and there will be questions from the readings on the major exams. Attentiveness and participation is expected during discussions. Above all, please speak out! You will NOT be graded on whether or not your question and comments rock the world of herpetology. Sometimes students are too shy in discussions because they are a little embarrassed about not understanding, or afraid of asking an obvious question. A colleague of mine put it this way, As a scientist you will be paid to ask questions about things you do not know. So go ahead, it s no big deal. The goal of our class discussions is to help each other understand current research topics in the broad field of herpetology, and to practice expressing our ideas. You will gain from the discussions if you read the papers, and ask questions or give opinions during the discussions. You will learn to ask questions that are good for discussion. Ask yourself how someone might be prompted to reply to your question. For example, if we discuss a paper about evolutionary arms races between garter snakes and the toxic salamanders they feed on, someone may ask, What is an evolutionary arms race? The reply could be, Look in the first paragraph. It is defined there. A question that might be better for discussion might be something about evolutionary arms races that was not mentioned in the paper or might have been hard to understand. An example of this kind of question could be, Is it only feasible to evolve predator-prey arms races when prey are toxic and sublethal?, or, What other kinds of traits and behaviors do herps posses besides toxicity that might stimulate predator-prey arms races? Could running speed coevolve between predator and prey for escape and pursuit? SPECIES ACCOUNT WITH ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY-- Due dates: Choice of topic and literature review due beginning of class 9 March (before spring break) Final Species account due beginning of class, Wednesday 20 April (week before last class and exam). Email submission is allowed, but it is your responsibility if the email does not work or the attachment does not work. Each student will prepare a 3-page species account of a reptile or amphibian species of their choice, with a distribution map and image (maximum length 5 pages). An example will be fully explained in class, but the accounts will follow guidelines for Catalog of North American Amphibians and Reptiles. Guidelines are included below. I expect a very complete, annotated literature search to be completed for these species accounts. Bona-fide literature values much much more than use of unsubstantiated writings from the World Wide Web. AVOID CITING WEB SITES, DO CITE PRIMARY LITERATURE. A majority of the grade for this assignment will be based on comprehensiveness of the bibliographic material and literature citations. FIVE-MINUTE PRESENTATIONS ON YOUR SPECIES ACCOUNT Each student will be randomly assigned a time-slot to present their outline and research on their species account to the class. Each presentation must be a MAXIMUM of 5 minutes in length. The presentation will be timed and halted after 5 minutes. Thus, it is strongly recommended that you rehearse your presentation! A one-page handout and 2 quiz questions must be prepared before class and the professor will make copies and pass them out. The handout should include: brief summary of the topic in one or two paragraphs; sources of information used; bullet-list of major points; two sample quiz questions based on the information provided. The handout must fit on one page, double-sided if necessary. DO NOT READ A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION. You may use images, make a brochure, whatever you decide. BUT DO NOT READ A LIST OF BULLET POINTS FROM POWERPOINT SLIDES. DIVERSITY OF FROGS, LIZARDS, AND SNAKES You are responsible for using your text to understand and know the diversity of frog, lizard, and snake families. This means knowing the identifying characters of the families and their geographic distribution in the world. I will assign a worksheet of 50-100 factoids about diversity of these families that you can fill out for partial credit on the last exam. Fifteen questions from this sheet will be chosen at random and will count for 15 points on the exam. Thus you will have a study guide that gives you a small amount of partial credit and you will study your guide to prepare for the exam. This will be fully explained in class.
Herpetology (WFSC 315), Spring 2016, page 4 INSTRUCTIONS TO CAAR AUTHORS GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS: The Catalogue is basically a summary of the taxonomy of a given taxon and an overview of the literature concerning that taxon. The author s first task is to become cognizant of as much of the literature on the form in question as is reasonably possible. However, the Catalogue is a dynamic entity and accounts should be as much a stimulus to future research as they are definitive summaries of the published knowledge concerning a particular taxon. The Catalogue is read and used by a wide audience, both in and out of academia. Therefore, what is not known about a taxon is often as important to note as what has been published. The author should keep in mind the need to write concisely, use active voice when appropriate and possible, and follow the style points listed below. Note that the Catalogue does not publish taxonomic innovations; any such innovations should be published elsewhere and cited in the account. I. Using the following guidelines, prepare a double-spaced draft of your ms, including captions for the map(s) and any illustration(s), for submission to the section editor. ALSO, be prepared to submit, after approval of the draft by the section editor, a computer disk formatted as follows: II. FORMAT: Refer to recent accounts for examples. TAXONOMIC HEADINGS: Do not abridge the author s surname, add initials if confusion is likely. Enclose the author s name in parentheses if the species-group name is now associated with a genus other than that in which it was originally described. Give vernacular names as listed in the most recent edition of Common names for North American amphibians and reptiles, use names which are in use in all or part of the taxon s range, provide a name (and justification under REMARKS), or omit altogether. Inclusion of vernacular names for subspecies is optional. SYNONYMY: The synonymy should include all new names and all new combinations of names arranged in chronological order. Other permutations, including those published irregularly, erroneously, or incorrectly, should be included. Use no punctuation between the name of a taxon and the name of the original describer, but separate the authors of other permutations from the name with a colon. Give the type locality as an exact quote (in quotation marks) from the original description. Follow with translation into English if necessary, and insert (in brackets) any necessary clarifying remarks. Give any subsequent restrictions, designations, or significant modifications. Give data for holotype or equivalent specimens of both recognized and synonymized taxa. Include age (e.g., adult, juvenile), sex, institution of deposit, catalogue number, collector s name, and date of collection for each specimen. Where gaps exist in the data, explain (e.g. collector unknown ). Insert not examined by author(s) or examined by author(s) in parentheses at the end of the entry. In generic synonymies, give the type species and state the mode of selection (e.g., by monotypy, by subsequent designation, with citation). Follow similar procedures for higher categories. Annotations giving the nomenclatural status of the name and the reasons changes were proposed are important. Short explanations should be included in the synonymy, longer ones belong in REMARKS or NOMENCLATURAL HISTORY. Be sure annotations are explicit. CONTENT: State the number of subcategories recognized (subspecies in a species account, species in a generic account, etc.) and list them. If clarification is necessary, refer to REMARKS or COMMENT. DEFINITION: A definition is a series of statements or features that together characterize a taxon. Statements must be objective to be useful; e.g., do not use medium-sized unless a size range is also given. Limit statements to those actually defining the taxonomic level under consideration; family characteristics belong in familial accounts, etc. Include references to juveniles or larvae, where pertinent. DIAGNOSIS (optional, but strongly preferred): A diagnosis is a series of comparative statements which enables the reader to distinguish between the taxon in question and others with which it may be confused (i.e., sympatric congeners). Again, include references to juveniles or larvae, where pertinent. DESCRIPTIONS: Give citations to available descriptions. Include descriptive material, including life-history stages, where pertinent. If descriptions of life-history stages other than adult cannot be cited, explain why. In anuran accounts, a description of the mating call is appropriate. Include measurable quantities, such as dominant frequency, duration, and pulse rate. ILLUSTRATIONS: Cite available illustrations, including anatomical features and life-history stages other than adult. If published illustrations are lacking, state this explicitly. DISTRIBUTION: Provide a statement of geographic range, including a list of countries and states (where appropriate) in which the taxon is found. State the source or authority for any unusual, isolated, or otherwise noteworthy records mapped. Previously unpublished distributional information may be included. Statements on altitudinal, ecological, or other restrictions are highly desirable. Include citations of other pertinent distributional studies and illustrations of ranges. FOSSIL RECORD: Summarize available data on the occurrence of the taxon as a fossil. Include both geographic and temporal distribution. References to fossil species regarded as close to Recent forms not known as fossils may be given.
Herpetology (WFSC 315), Spring 2016, page 5 PERTINENT LITERATURE: List first citations of comprehensive works on the taxon. Other citations are best grouped according to the particular aspect of biology treated. Within each group, citations may be listed in chronological or alphabetical order. In accounts with a voluminous literature, citations should be in alphabetical order to facilitate usage. Avoid unnecessary duplication of citations listed in other sections of the account. Although discussion of the literature is not prohibited, because of space constraints, especially for very long accounts, preference is for citations to be listed after key words, which are in bold (see, for example, account 663, Necturus punctatus, 1998). KEY: Accounts of taxa other than species should include keys to contained forms. When a Catalogue account has been published for a form included, this should be noted and the account number given in parentheses following the taxon s name in its couplet. NOMENCLATURAL HISTORY (optional): Statements required to clarify the use of a name or to detail its history are assembled under this heading. Few such statements are included under REMARKS. REMARK(S) (optional): Published information not presented elsewhere is included here. ETYMOLOGY: Give the origin, derivation, and meaning of any names used in the account. List the Greek or Latin word from which the name is derived, not merely from the Latin unless the derivative is the same as the word from which it was derived. In generic accounts, give gender. Distinguish between your inferences and author s statements. COMMENT(S) (optional): In other sections, data must come from the literature. Here, you may address whatever points merit discussion. Unpublished information or ideas are appropriate, if documented, but extensive important data must be published elsewhere. Use separate paragraphs for each topic. One item must be included: if a diversity of opinion exists among authorities regarding the systematics employed in your account, you must state all positions held and insofar as feasible provide arguments (or citations) for positions taken. Catalogue readers should be aware of the full range of authoritative opinion. ACKNOWLEDGMENT(S) (optional): Listings here should be as concise as possible. LITERATURE CITED: Note that a comma does not separate names of two authors, but serial commas should be used when more than two authors are listed. Include issue numbers of journal articles only if pages in a volume are not numbered sequentially. Page numbers for books, theses, and dissertations are not given. Use standard abbreviations for journals (refer to Biological Abstracts), specifically Occ. for Occasional, Nat. for Natural, etc. Note that Natl. is used for National and Intl. for International. Article in a book: Brown, G.W., Jr. 1964. The metabolism of Amphibia, p. 54 98. In J.A. Moore (ed.), Physiology of the Amphibia. Academic Press, New York. Book: Villa, J., L.D. Wilson, and J.D. Johnson. 1988. Middle American Herpetology: A Bibliographic Checklist. Univ. Missouri Press, Columbia. Journal article: Case, S.M. and M.H. Wake. 1977. Immunological comparisons of caecilian albumins (Amphibia: Gymnophiona). Herpetologica 33:93 97. Rose, F.L. 1967. Seasonal changes in lipid levels of the salamander, Amphiuma means. Copeia 1967:622 666. and H.L. Lewis. 1968. Changes in weight and free fatty acid concentration of fat bodies of paedogenic Ambystoma tigrinum during vitellogenesis. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 16:149 154. Article comprising Cochran, D.M. 1941. The herpetology of Hispaniola. Bull. U.S. Natl. Mus. (177):vii entire Vol. or No.: + 398 p. Theses/Dissertations: O Brien, T.G. 1983. American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) Surveys in the Coastal Counties of North Carolina. M.S. Thesis. North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh. Note that no spaces are inserted between authors initials and only one space is inserted between different parts of the citation (e.g., author s name and date). Pagination is separated by n-dashes and repeated listings of the same author is indicated with a single m- dash. Plates numbered separately from the pagination of the text should be indicated. Species accounts will normally include these sections in the following order: TAXONOMIC HEADING, SYNONYMY, CONTENT, DEFINITION, DIAGNOSIS (optional, but preferred), DESCRIPTIONS, ILLUSTRATIONS, DISTRIBUTION, FOSSIL RECORD, PERTINENT LITERATURE, and ETYMOLOGY. NOMENCLATURAL HISTORY, REMARK(S), COMMENT(S), and ACKNOWLEDGMENT(S) sections are optional and included as necessary, the first two preceding, the latter following the etymology section. If no published information exists on a particular topic (e.g., FOSSIL RECORD), the heading remains and a statement to that effect is made. In accounts dealing with taxa containing subspecies, the subspecific accounts will follow the etymology section (or comment, if included), will be numbered, and will be arranged in alphabetical order, except for the nominate subspecies, which shall always be listed first. Normally subspecific accounts will have only TAXONOMIC HEADING, SYNONYMY, and DEFINITION sections; DIAGNOSIS and REMARK(S) may be included as necessary. Generic accounts and those dealing with higher taxa will have all of the headings of a species account and, in addition, a KEY TO SPECIES (or genera, etc.) section inserted after Pertinent Literature (see account 471). In generic accounts published with species accounts, references to the generic or species account(s) may be used in lieu of repeating text (see account 472). A similar approach may be used in, for example, combined family and generic accounts. The LITERATURE CITED section will follow all other sections in accounts of all types.
BASIC STYLE POINTS Herpetology (WFSC 315), Spring 2016, page 6 1. Always use complete sentences, even in the definition. 2. Use past tense when citing references, e.g., Wilson (1948) listed..., although present tense is acceptable when noting that descriptions, illustrations, etc. are in a particular reference, e.g., black and white photographs are in Price (1927). If author s name and date are enclosed in parentheses, e.g., (Powell et al. 1996), do not separate them with a comma. 3. Do not begin a sentence with an abbreviation. 4. Use serial commas, e.g., yellow, purple, and green... 5. Formal common names shall be capitalized. 6. State names should be spelled out (except at the end of the account in the author s address, where the two-letter postal abbreviation should be used). 7. Do not hyphenate type locality, type species, etc. 8. SVL = snout-vent length, TL = total length. 9. Except when in a direct quote or in a title (e.g., when not used by the original author), diacritical marks and capitalization shall follow the rules of the language used (i.e., México, deutsche Schildkröten, etc.). 10. Terms such as lapsus, fide, etc. should be italicized; i.e., e.g., et al., per se should not. 11. References in the text to maps or figures are necessary only when specific information is discussed. 12. Avoid there is... or it would seem that... These phrases lack antecedents. Refer to the CBE Style Manual in cases where usage is in doubt. 13. Spell out numbers at beginning of sentences. Spell out single digit numbers except as units of measure or in giving counts (e.g., 7 mm, 0 4 tubercles). 14. The account author s surname and initials will be used above the taxonomic center heading at the top of the left column on page one. The author s full name may be used at the end of the account. III. Along with the ms., prepare a distribution map on the base map provided by the graphics editor. Neatness and legibility are appreciated, but you need not produce a map of publication quality as it will be redrawn prior to use in the account. Clearly mark type localities of recognized forms (not synonymized taxa) and any fossil localities. For species accounts, mark all accurate locality records (if the published map would be too cluttered, the graphics editor will selectively eliminate spots, with the author s approval) and indicate a range outline. For taxa other than species, only a range outline and fossil localities shall be indicated. In any case, the range outline should not merely enclose dots, but accurately reflect the distribution of the taxon (e.g., follow river systems in the case of aquatic forms). If uncertainties exist, mark them with question marks and note their meaning in the map caption. A. 1) Use large circles for type localities. If the type locality is unknown or too imprecise to plot, note this in the map caption. 2) Use dots for other localities. 3) Mark fossil sites with stars. 4) Use of other symbols must be justified, e.g., more than one taxon (see account 480) or nesting versus other locality records (see accounts 482 and 483). B. Unless too few localities exist for a reasonable guess, outline your best estimate of the total range and of any subspecies ranges (see below). In defining ranges you are giving readers the benefit of your knowledge; anyone can connect the peripheral dots! C. If subspecies are named: 1) Number the ranges in the order the subspecies appear in the text (alphabetically except for the nominate ssp.). 2) Be sure that disjunct areas are properly numbered. 3) Delineate areas of intergradation clearly. 4) Do not apply shading film or shade in ranges by hand. IV. Also be prepared to submit pertinent illustrations with the ms. Only in rare instances will accounts be published without illustrations. Photographs or line drawings of historical interest or not readily available elsewhere are particularly suitable. If any questions exist regarding the use of an illustration, consult the section editor. Audiospectrograms of anuran mating calls shall be included whenever possible (one may be produced if an adequate recording is available). If any illustration submitted has been previously published and is covered by copyright laws, you should request permission for its use and must notify the editor regarding the status of that request at the time the illustration is submitted.