ZOO 6927 and ZOO 4926 —Herpetology

The University of Florida graduate students enrolled in ZOO 6927 and advanced undergraduates enrolled in ZOO 4926, 'Herpetology' , attend twice a week lectures and laboratory sessions in the Florida Museum of Natural History. They also participate in a series of 1-day fieldtrips around northcentral Florida and at least one 3-day trip led by the instructors and teaching assistants that involves camping out and long days and nights in the field. The purpose of the fieldtrips is to learn techniques for surveying reptiles and amphibians in southeastern U.S. habitats and to understand the diversity of the species in the area, their ecology and distribution. The 3-day trip usually is to the habitats along the Apalachicola River in the Florida panhandle, and the 1-day trips are to locations in northcentral Florida, the River Styx, the Ocala National Forest, the Katharine Ordway Preserve or other sites.

Time is spent sloshing around in streams, seining, dipnetting, and dredging for turtles, watersnakes, adult amphibians and their larvae and young. The students also devote time to wading flatwoods ponds, cypress ponds, and ravines looking for frogs, tadpoles and other amphibian larvae, and snakes that prey on them. Additional time is devoted to stripping bark from downed logs in the pine flatwoods, rolling logs and digging through debris in hardwood hammocks and along roadside ditches looking for snakes, lizards, and turtles. The evenings are spent driving roads in search of snakes crossing the pavement, identifying frogs and toads chorusing in roadside ponds, and looking for snakes foraging along streams, and turning up diurnal species sleeping in the vegetation.

The reptiles and amphibians found on the trip are collected, unharmed, and after their presence is recorded and notes taken on the habitat, the specimens are photographed and most are released right back where they were collected.

In addition to learning herpetology field techniques, the students encounter many interesting plants and habitats.

The fieldtrips were so enjoyable that many of the students sign up for an extra, 'just for the fun of it', fieldtrip after the course is completed. In 1997, the after class fieldtrip was to St. Catherines Island, Georgia. Lots of photos were taken on that trip.

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