Course Syllabus

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Southern Utah University

Fall Semester 2026

Herpetology Lab (Face-to-Face)

BIOL 3475-01

Course:	BIOL 3475-01
Credits:	1
Term:	Fall Semester 2026
Department:	Biology
CRN:	33317

Course Description

Lab to accompany BIOL 3470. One three-hour lab per week. Longer field trips may be scheduled. A minimum grade of "C" (2.0 or above) must be earned in this course before it can be counted in a biological science major or minor or as a prerequisite for any other biology course. (Fall - Even Years) [Graded (Standard Letter)] Co-requisite(s): BIOL 3470

Required Texts

Peterson Field Guides, Western Reptiles and Amphibians 4th ed., by S.M. McGinnis and R.C. Stebbins, Houghton Mifflin, New York, New York. ISBN 9781328715500

AND
Composition Notebook (190 x250 mm (7.48 x 9.84 inches)) for your field/lab notebook. Available at virtually any variety store or online.

Learning Outcomes

1. General Knowledge & Organismal Biology

Demonstrate an understanding of general knowledge of biology as it applies to herpetofauna, including the physiological systems and processes (e.g., ectothermic thermoregulation, osmoregulation, specialized cardiorespiratory mechanics) and reproductive/life history strategies of amphibians and reptiles.

USHE R470 Alignment: Knowledge of the Physical and Natural World
SUU Biology SLO Alignment: General knowledge of biology: physiological systems and processes

2. Interactions, Evolution, & Biodiversity

Demonstrate an understanding of the dynamics of interactions and adaptations within and among biological systems, including the diversity of living organisms (amphibian and reptile taxonomy), evolutionary relationships among them, population biology, and the interaction between biotic and abiotic components across different ecosystems.

USHE R470 Alignment: Knowledge of the Physical and Natural World; Inquiry and Analysis
SUU Biology SLO Alignment: Dynamics of interactions and adaptations: population biology and organismal interactions; biotic/abiotic ecosystem interactions; diversity of organisms and evolutionary relationships; evolutionary processes

3. Scientific Methodologies & Literature Synthesis

Demonstrate an understanding of the methodologies of science and synthesize new knowledge from scientific literature by reading, understanding, and critiquing peer-reviewed literature in herpetology, analyzing empirical data, and systematically evaluating research hypotheses from herpetology.

USHE R470 Alignment: Intellectual and Practical Skills (Inquiry, Analysis, Critical Thinking, Information Literacy)
SUU Biology SLO Alignment: Methodologies of science and synthesis of scientific literature: reading, understanding, and critiquing peer-reviewed literature; the scientific method

4. Multimodal Scientific Communication

Communicate effectively in oral, written, and visual formats by developing and presenting scientific work or syntheses of field knowledge through structured written field reports, oral presentations, and/or data representations (e.g., maps, plots).

USHE R470 Alignment: Intellectual and Practical Skills (Written and Oral Communication, Information Literacy)
SUU Biology SLO Alignment: Communicate effectively in oral, written, and other formats: oral presentation of scientific work; written presentation of scientific work

5. Field & Laboratory Investigations

Use appropriate tools to carry out investigations in herpetology, including demonstrating competency in the use of appropriate field and laboratory equipment (e.g., species identification keys, survey technique gear, specimen preparation tools, and standard handling safety protocols) during laboratory meetings and field trips.

USHE R470 Alignment: Intellectual and Practical Skills (Quantitative and Qualitative Problem-Solving); Integrative and Applied Learning
SUU Biology SLO Alignment: Use appropriate tools to carry out investigations: competency in use of appropriate field/laboratory equipment; experiential learning activity

6. Conservation & Applied Stewardship

Apply integrated biological principles to evaluate contemporary conservation challenges affecting herpetofauna (e.g., disease, habitat fragmentation, and climate impacts) and analyze evidence-based management strategies to support species survival and ecosystem stability.

USHE R470 Alignment: Personal and Social Responsibility (Civic Knowledge and Engagement, Real-World Challenges); Integrative and Applied Learning
SUU Biology SLO Alignment: General knowledge of biology: findings and applications; acquiring sufficient training for graduate/professional careers

Course Requirements

Laboratory Quizzes: See attendance section.

Laboratory Exams: There will be two practical exams over the course of the semester (see dates below). It will be critical for you to know all the terminology from the lab handouts, be able to visually identify species of amphibians and reptiles seen in lab, and understand the basic biology of the various species including range, diet, sexual dimorphism, etc.

Laboratory/Field Notebooks: Each week in lab you will be required to make entries in your field notebooks related to the day’s activity. This may include definition of terms, answering questions, recording observed species, etc. Taxonomic notes will differ with each lab, but the field and experimental lab notes should follow a specific template to ensure accurate and complete data collection (see templates at the end of the syllabus).

Required Field Observations: This semester, each of you will be required to spend time in the field making observations of reptiles and amphibians outside of normal class/lab time. A minimum of 10 hours will be required for full points. These hours will be recorded in your laboratory/field notebooks. These hours can be spent anywhere that wild reptiles/amphibians are found. Details regarding what must be recorded can be seen below (the templates). In addition, each of you will be required to become a contributor on iNaturalist. This is an online community for naturalists where users may record observations of organisms by uploading georeferenced photos and associated data. Each of you will be required to create an account and then upload a minimum of 15 iNaturalist observations over the course of the semester.

Journal Club Assignment: Each of you will have the opportunity to work with a partner (groups no larger than 2) to select a piece of primary literature to share orally during lab. You will be expected to provide a brief overview of the paper (~ 5 min), so everyone is on the same page, and then have prepared questions for discussion by the group. Each group should plan on 15-20 minutes. You will need to have your paper selected at least one week in advance and shared with Dr. Monroe or Dr. Heyborne so that it can be loaded into Canvas for distribution to the class. It will be expected that everyone read the paper in advance in order to be prepared for the discussion. Points will be awarded to the presenters on presentation quality. Participation points will be awarded to the rest of the class to encourage reading of the paper and participation in the discussion.

Required After Hours Field Trip: This semester, we will be hosting two after-hours field trip opportunities. You must choose one of the events to attend during the semester. Option one is scheduled for Friday, September 11th. We will be doing a night drive along Old Hwy 91 southwest of St. George. Several species of reptiles exist here and nowhere else in the state. We will leave campus at 7:00 pm and will return around midnight. Option two is a morning trip (location dependent on weather) scheduled for Saturday, September 19th. We will leave campus at 9:00 am and will return to campus between 1:00-2:00 pm. While only one of the two trips is required, extra credit will be made available for those who are able to participate in both.

Grading: Letter grades will be assigned using a typical scale of percentages of total available points.
100-93 A, 92-90 A-

89-88 B+, 87-83 B
82-80 B-, 79-78 C+
77-73 C, 72-70 C-

69-68 D+, 67-63 D
62-60 D-, < 60 F

Workload: If you want to be successful in this class (and all of your classes), you should expect to spend between two and three hours outside of class studying/working on class assignments for every hour you spend in the classroom. So, if you are enrolled for 12 credit hours, this means you spend twelve hours in the classroom every week. According to this general rule, you should then be spending between 24 and 36 ADDITIONAL hours every week working on class-related work, for a total of 36 to 48 hours each week. This is as much time as a full-time job and should be treated as such!

Course Outline

Instructor's policies on late assignments and/or makeup work

Timeliness in taking exams: Exams are already scheduled (please see the course schedule below) and can NOT be taken at an alternative time without PRIOR permission (including for university-sponsored travel) OR a note from your healthcare provider. Sorry, but NO EXCEPTIONS.

Extra Credit: Requests for extra credit have become overwhelming – particularly near the end of the semester. So, PLEASE DON’T ASK! With this said, extra credit opportunities for the entire class MAY be offered at the discretion of the instructors, but you should NOT count on this as a way to boost your grade. Instead, spend your time and energy completing the course requirements.

Attendance Policy

Quizzes will be given during each class meeting during the first 10-15 minutes of class, but only on weeks following taxonomic work in the lab. Questions on the laboratory quiz will be over the previous week’s lab and will be practical in nature. Makeup quizzes will ONLY be considered for excused absences. Excused absences include university-sponsored travel or absences planned IN ADVANCE with the instructor(s). ALL other absences will be considered unexcused, and no makeup will be given. Make-ups must be scheduled within three days of the missed quiz. Because we all encounter life’s unexpected, one quiz may be dropped without penalty. Consider this to be your way out on the day that you sleep through class.

Treatment of Live Animals and Lab Safety

Treatment of live animals: In this course, we will observe live animals both in the field and in the lab. These animals are to be treated with respect at all times. In addition, any vertebrate animal used in this course is covered by protocols and permits under the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (http://www.iacuc.org). IACUC has strict requirements for the ethical care and use of animals in research and educational settings. Guidelines for animal care set forth by IACUC will be followed at all times. Failure to comply with IACUC guidelines could result in a failing grade. Students do not have the authority to make decisions regarding proper animal care and use. All decisions should be made in conjunction with the instructor. In addition, under NO circumstances should any student handle venomous animals – either in the lab or the field. If a venomous animal is encountered, Dr. Heyborne or Dr. Monroe should be notified immediately, and their instruction must be followed explicitly!

Laboratory Safety: We will be working in the field and/or a laboratory each week for this course. Both environments present some risks which can be greatly minimized by following some simple rules. You will be expected to adhere to the Department of Biology safety policy, which will be made available via Canvas.

ADA Statement

Students with medical, psychological, learning, or other disabilities desiring academic adjustments, accommodations, or auxiliary aids will need to contact the Disability Resource Center, located in Room 206F of the Sharwan Smith Center or by phone at (435) 865-8042. The Disability Resource Center determines eligibility for and authorizes the provision of services.

If your instructor requires attendance, you may need to seek an ADA accommodation to request an exception to this attendance policy. Please contact the Disability Resource Center to determine what, if any, ADA accommodations are reasonable and appropriate.

Academic Credit

According to the federal definition of a Carnegie credit hour: A credit hour of work is the equivalent of approximately 60 minutes of class time or independent study work. A minimum of 45 hours of work by each student is required for each unit of credit. Credit is earned only when course requirements are met. One (1) credit hour is equivalent to 15 contact hours of lecture, discussion, testing, evaluation, or seminar, as well as 30 hours of student homework. An equivalent amount of work is expected for laboratory work, internships, practica, studio, and other academic work leading to the awarding of credit hours. Credit granted for individual courses, labs, or studio classes ranges from 0.5 to 15 credit hours per semester.

Academic Freedom

SUU is operated for the common good of the greater community it serves. The common good depends upon the free search for truth and its free exposition. Academic Freedom is the right of faculty to study, discuss, investigate, teach, and publish. Academic Freedom is essential to these purposes and applies to both teaching and research.

Academic Freedom in the realm of teaching is fundamental for the protection of the rights of the faculty member and of you, the student, with respect to the free pursuit of learning and discovery. Faculty members possess the right to full freedom in the classroom in discussing their subjects. They may present any controversial material relevant to their courses and their intended learning outcomes, but they shall take care not to introduce into their teaching controversial materials which have no relation to the subject being taught or the intended learning outcomes for the course.

As such, students enrolled in any course at SUU may encounter topics, perspectives, and ideas that are unfamiliar or controversial, with the educational intent of providing a meaningful learning environment that fosters your growth and development. These parameters related to Academic Freedom are included in SUU Policy 6.6.

Academic Misconduct

Scholastic honesty is expected of all students. Dishonesty will not be tolerated and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent (see SUU Policy 6.33). You are expected to have read and understood the current SUU student conduct code (SUU Policy 11.2) regarding student responsibilities and rights, the intellectual property policy (SUU Policy 5.52), information about procedures, and what constitutes acceptable behavior.

Please Note: The use of websites or services that sell essays is a violation of these policies; likewise, the use of websites or services that provide answers to assignments, quizzes, or tests is also a violation of these policies. Regarding the use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI), you should check with your individual course instructor.

Emergency Management Statement

In case of an emergency, the University's Emergency Notification System (ENS) will be activated. Students are encouraged to maintain updated contact information using the link on the homepage of the mySUU portal. In addition, students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the Emergency Response Protocols posted in each classroom. Detailed information about the University's emergency management plan can be found at https://www.suu.edu/emergency.

HEOA Compliance Statement

For a full set of Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) compliance statements, please visit https://www.suu.edu/heoa. The sharing of copyrighted material through peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing, except as provided under U.S. copyright law, is prohibited by law; additional information can be found at https://my.suu.edu/help/article/1096/heoa-compliance-plan.

You are also expected to comply with policies regarding intellectual property (SUU Policy 5.52) and copyright (SUU Policy 5.54).

Mandatory Reporting

University policy (SUU Policy 5.60) requires instructors to report disclosures received from students that indicate they have been subjected to sexual misconduct/harassment. The University defines sexual harassment consistent with Federal Regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106, Subpart D) to include quid pro quo, hostile environment harassment, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking. When students communicate this information to an instructor in-person, by email, or within writing assignments, the instructor will report that to the Title IX Coordinator to ensure students receive support from the Title IX Office. A reporting form is available at https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?SouthernUtahUniv

Non-Discrimination Statement

SUU is committed to fostering an inclusive community of lifelong learners and believes our university's encompassing of different views, beliefs, and identities makes us stronger, more innovative, and better prepared for the global society.

SUU does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, sex (including sex discrimination and sexual harassment), sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ancestry, disability status, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, military status, veteran status, or other bases protected by applicable law in employment, treatment, admission, access to educational programs and activities, or other University benefits or services.

SUU strives to cultivate a campus environment that encourages freedom of expression from diverse viewpoints. We encourage all to dialogue within a spirit of respect, civility, and decency.

For additional information on non-discrimination, please see SUU Policy 5.27 and/or visit https://www.suu.edu/nondiscrimination.

Pregnancy

Students who are or become pregnant during this course may receive reasonable modifications to facilitate continued access and participation in the course. Pregnancy and related conditions are broadly defined to include pregnancy, childbirth, termination of pregnancy, lactation, related medical conditions, and recovery. To obtain reasonable modifications, please make a request to title9@suu.edu. To learn more visit: https://www.suu.edu/titleix/pregnancy.html.

Disclaimer Statement

Information contained in this syllabus, other than the grading, late assignments, makeup work, and attendance policies, may be subject to change with advance notice, as deemed appropriate by the instructor.

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