VERTEBRATE NATURAL HISTORY (BIO 356)

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LABORATORY  REQUIREMENTS

There will be one or two indoor sessions and at least one fieldtrip devoted for each vertebrate class.  Indoor session serve to introduce students to representative specimens in each vertebrate class and to assist students with problems in identification.  Each student will be expected to spend many hours in the laboratory at times other than those scheduled.  

Seven fieldtrips are designed to allow you to observe and collect as many of the local vertebrates as possible.  Dress appropriately for the fieldtrips!  You will be responsible for knowing the common and scientific names of all animals seen in lab or in the field, with the exception of the Class Aves where we will use common names only.  You will also be required to know the range in North Carolina and the major habitat for each species observed in the field or in lab.

Each student is required to keep a field notebook.  The notebook will provide a record of all fieldtrips, including such information as date, precise location, weather, species encountered, and other biologically important data.  The notebook will be collected at the end of each fieldtrip, graded, and returned before the beginning of the next class.

SCHEDULE

NOTE:  Birds will be studied throughout the semester and a cumulative bird quiz will be given at the end of the semester.

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