James Cook University Subject Handbook - 2006

ZL3211 - Tropical Australian Herpetology

[Offered in even-numbered years]

Credit points: 03
Year: 2006
Student Contribution Band: Band 2
Administered by:

Australia has one of the richest faunas of frogs and reptiles found on any continent. The Australian herpetofauna is taxonomically and functionally diverse, with a wide variety of ecological types, habitat requirements and life histories. Reptiles and amphibians are poorly studied in comparison with the other terrestrial vertebrates and are generally less vagile and more habitat-specific than birds or mammals. They can thus serve as valuable indicators of the status of habitats and should be included in habitat evaluations. Members of both taxa exhibit a very wide range of reproductive and behavioural adaptations that enable them to survive in Australias harsh environments. Examination of the diversity of form and function of Australian amphibians and reptiles, emphasising the tropical fauna using techniques needed to survey them and study their biology.

Learning Outcomes

Prerequisites:ZL1001
Inadmissible
Subject
Combinations:
ZL5211

Availabilities

, , Study Period 10
Census Date 22-Dec-2006
Face to face teaching 04-Dec-2006 to 15-Dec-2006
Coordinator: Empro Ross Alford
Lecturers: Professor Lin Schwarzkopf, Empro Ross Alford.
Contact hours:
  • 30 hours
  • 3 hours
  • 15 hours
  • 12 hours
Assessment: (50%); (15%); (25%); (10%).

Note: Minor variations might occur due to the continuous Subject quality improvement process, and in case of minor variation(s) in assessment details, the Subject Outline represents the latest official information.