6927—Herpetology and Climate

ZOO 6927—Herpetology and Climate

Instructors: Drs. Harvey B. Lillywhite and Max A. Nickerson

Credits: 2

Time and Place: Two hours a week, semester to be arranged.

Prerequisites: Solid background in vertebrate biology, especially ecology, evolution, behavior and physiology; consent of the instructors.

Introduction and Organization: The course requires the production of a research proposal or research paper and the presentation of a seminar.

Climate-related topics will be selected by the class with approval of the instructors. The following topics were covered the last time the course was offered.

Climate, diving and water relations of marine snakes and their implications for persistence and distribution of populations.
Climate and hellbenders.
Regulation of evaporative water loss in xenophilic amphibians.
Effects of microclimate changes on herpetofauna with special consideration of longleaf pine/sandhill restoration.
Ultraviolet light and 'amphibian decline'.
Developmental effects of temperature.
Global climate changes and their effects on declining amphibian populations.
Effects of sea level rise on American herps.
Thermal stress and tire effect of increased environmental temperature on American alligators.
Temperature related responses in reptiles.
Temporal / spatial population variations in locomotory performance as a tool for predicting responses to global climatic change.
Effects of latitude and climate oil lizard reproduction.
Climatological limits to herbivory.

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