WIS 3402
Wildlife of Florida


INSTRUCTOR: Mel Sunquist

314 Newins-Ziegler Hall
Phone: 846-0566
e-mail: sunquist@ufl.edu
Office hours: Tues: 1-3 pm, Thursday: 9-11 am

Two lecture exams and a final exam will be given to test students’ conceptual knowledge of the material presented in lecture. Lecture exams will be multiple choice and short- answer questions. NOTE: Material presented by guest lecturers AND the information presented on videos will be included in lecture exams. Exam questions will also come from the material on the CD, which is considered to be outside reading for the course.

Make-up exams are allowed for students with documented academic, medical and athletic absences.

Students are expected to attend class. Attendance is not taken on a regular basis, but will be taken on 10 days (selected at random) over the term. Attendance: a maximum of 10 points can be added as a bonus to the total points earned by the student on lecture exams (300 points).


POINTS: Lecture exams: 2 @ 100 points each: 200
  Final exam: 1 @ 100 points: 100
  Total points:     300

COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course is designed to provide students with a basic understanding of the natural history, ecology and behavior of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals of Florida. Such a basic background is a prerequisite to being able to design field studies that focus on conservation concerns. In this regard, it is important to know where these vertebrates live, their life-history traits, their status in the wild and what management techniques can be employed to address conservation problems.

Most importantly, the course is intended to increase student awareness and appreciation of the many natural systems of Florida.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The course is designed to introduce students to the diversity of wildlife species in Florida, with an emphasis on amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds. The lectures focus on classification, natural history, behavior and ecology of species of the three major groups, habitat affinities of species, and the threats and conservation issues facing Florida’s wildlife.

GENERAL NOTICE TO STUDENTS

Academic Honesty

As a result of completing the registration form at the University of Florida, every student has signed the following statement: “ I understand that the University of Florida expects its students to be honest in all their academic work. I agree to this commitment to academic honesty and understand that my failure to comply with this commitment may result in disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from the University.”

UF Counseling Services:
Resources are available on campus for students having personal problems or lacking clear career and academic goals that interfere with their academic performance. These resources include:

  1. University Counseling Center, 301 Peabody Hall, 392-1575, personal and career counseling;
  2. Student Mental Health, Student Health Care Center, 392-1171, personal counseling;
  3. Sexual Assault Recovery Services (SARS), Student Health Care Center, 392-1161, sexual counseling;
  4. Career Resource Center, Reitz Union, 392-1601, career development assistance and counseling.

Software Use:
All faculty, staff and students of the University of Florida are required to obey the laws and legal agreements governing software use. Failure to do so can lead to monetary damages and/or criminal penalties for the individual violator. Because such violations are also against University policies and rules, disciplinary action will be taken as appropriate.

WE, the members of the University of Florida community, pledge to hold ourselves and our peers to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.

Students requesting classroom accommodation must first register with the Dean of Students Office in Peabody hall. The Dean of Student Office will provide documentation to the student who must then provide this documentation to the Instructor when requesting accommodation.