BZ3725 - Herpetology
[Offered in even-numbered years]
| Credit points: | 03 |
| Year: | 2010 |
| Student Contribution Band: | Band 4 |
| Administered by: | School of Marine & Tropical Biology |
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
- to learn and apply the basic techniques needed to survey and study the biology of amphibians and reptiles;
- to learn to identify representatives of major taxa;
- to understand the taxonomic and functional diversity of Australian amphibians and reptiles, particularly the tropical fauna.
Graduate Qualities
- The ability to deploy critically evaluated information to practical ends.
| Assumed Knowledge: | Students enrolling in this subject should have a good understanding of basic zoology (ZL1001 or BZ1004 or equivalent) and ecology. |
| Prerequisites: | (ZL1001 OR BZ1004 OR AG1004) AND BZ2440 |
| Inadmissible Subject Combinations: | ZL3211 ZL5211 BZ5725 |
Availabilities | |
| Townsville, Block, Study Period 10 | |
| Census Date 09-Dec-2010 | |
| Face to face teaching 22-Nov-2010 to 03-Dec-2010 | |
| Coordinator: | Professor Ross Alford |
| Lecturers: | Assoc. Professor Lin Schwarzkopf, Professor Ross Alford. |
| Contact hours: |
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| Assessment: | end of semester exam (50%); other exams (15%); assignments (25%); field report; (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.