VERTEBRATE NATURAL HISTORY LABORATORY AND FIELD SYLLABUS INTEGRATIVE BIOLOGY 104LF Rauri C. K. Bowie, Jimmy A. McGuire, Andrew Rush, & Alan B. Shabel This manual for Integrative Biology 104L is based in part on material contained in earlier versions prepared by Seth B. Benson, Ned K. Johnson, William Z. Lidicker, Meredith J. Mahoney, Alden H. Miller, James L. Patton, Oliver P. Pearson, and Robert C. Stebbins. We are indebted also to numerous other staff colleagues, associates, and graduate student instructors for the improvements they have suggested over the many years this course has been offered. University of California, Berkeley (Revised January 2021) Table of Contents Introduction 3 Materials 5 Instructions of use of laboratory specimens 6 Maps 7 Laboratory exercises on birds 12 Total species list for bird labs 20 Birds of the San Francisco Bay Area: natural history notes 28 Vertebrate vocalizations 46 Laboratory exercises on amphibians 55 Laboratory I 56 Amphibians of California: natural history notes 57 Laboratory II 62 Key to amphibians 68 Laboratory exercises on mammals 75 Major features of the mammalian skull 77 List of local mammal species 82 Mammals: natural history notes 86 Laboratory exercises on reptiles 103 Laboratory I 103 Laboratory II 109 Laboratory III 113 Notes on field notes 118 Field project proposal guidelines 129 FIELD BIOLOGY OF THE VERTEBRATES Integrative Biology 104L Introduction The primary objective of the laboratory and field work in this course is to aid the student in making personal, first-hand observations on the biology of living vertebrate animals in their natural environments. Semi-wild and wild lands in local Regional Parks (e.g., Briones, Coyote Hills, Sunol, Pt. Pinole, and Tilden) and Pt. Reyes National Seashore serve as our chief outdoor areas of study. Containing a variety of habitats and ecological formations such as coniferous forest, oak-bay woodland, chaparral, grassland, fresh-water marsh, lakes and stream banks, these areas support a rich variety of vertebrate species and are easily accessible. Species referred to as "local" are to be found in these Bay Area locations and adjacent areas. We will emphasiZe the behavior, adaptations, and way of life of local species in an effort to understand their natural history, their interactions, and the ecosystem of which they are a part. Attention will be given to techniques of field study, species identification, ecologic niches, foraging behavior, food habits, predator-prey relationships, habitat selection, competition within and among species, geographic distribution, and interactions between humans and vertebrate animals as they relate to conservation and human welfare. Although different, perhaps ecologically equivalent, species may be present in other areas, it should be realized that the techniques and principles of vertebrate natural history learned by the study of local animals will have broad geographic application. Students sometimes question the value of detailed study for purposes of identification of the minor differences that exist between closely similar species. Such study emphasizes, however, the great care the biologist must exercise in determining the identity of the organism being examined. Although two species may appear superficially similar, careful study typically reveals profound physiological, behavioral and ecological differences. Through convergence, similar species may even have come from different evolutionary backgrounds. The validity of some older literature is questionable because the species used were not identified with certainty. This underscores the importance of correct species identification, a point that will receive constant emphasis during this course. Because study of distribution often provides valuable information on factors critical to the existence of a species and important clues to its evolutionary history, you may be asked occasionally to give attention to distributional matters. To aid in this, study maps of Californian topography, vegetation, and life zones are included (Figs. 1–9). The laboratory exercises are designed to support the fieldwork and to illustrate and enlarge upon points presented in the lectures. The vertebrate groups studied — amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals — and the timing of certain special topics investigated are ordered as to sequence by local seasonal and climatic factors. This results in some unavoidable discontinuity in the presentation of subject matter. Although taxonomy per se is not the primary focus of this course, detailed knowledge of ordinal and familial classification provides an indispensable framework for understanding the relationships of local species. Moreover, familiarity with the names of common species present in the outdoor areas under study is essential for all descriptive and analytical work. Please read the laboratory instructions before coming to class and make any recommended preparation in advance. Materials For the laboratory • Notebook for notes and drawings (optional). Drawing pencils (colored) (optional). • Millimeter tape or small plastic rule approximately 300 mm long (required). • Hand lens (optional). For the field • Loose-leaf three-ring binder notebook, with non-flexible cover and lined paper approximately 6" x 9" (required). • Drawing pen with black, waterproof ink or high-quality black ball-point pen (required). • Small plastic ruler (required). • Binoculars (required). Instructions for Use of Laboratory Specimens Specimens used in the laboratory work are extremely fragile and difficult to obtain and prepare. It is the responsibility of each student to observe some simple rules with regard to handling them so that they will be usable for future classes. Because many students may become curators of school teaching collections, attention is given to the methods used in preparing, cataloguing, and storing specimens. Birds — Bird study skins (unmounted scientific preparations) are made by removing the body and replacing it with cotton and a stick for support. No wire is used in the wings or feet; the latter are thus held on only by fragile dry skin. Do not try to spread the wings or move the feet or legs. Grasp the specimen firmly by the sides of the body when examining plumage and the bill, feet, and legs. Do not pick up the specimen by the head, bill (beak), feet, legs or tail. (See pp. 50-53). Never point with a pencil to any area of a bird specimen. Mammals — Mammal skins are prepared in essentially the same manner as bird skins except that small wires are placed in the legs and tail. When handling a skin grasp it by the body or by both hind legs and tail. Do not attempt to bend the tail or ears. Skulls and lower jaws should always be kept together and replaced in the proper receptacle (check the specimen number against the number on the box or vial). Keep in mind that the small skulls of shrews and bats are particularly fragile and difficult to replace. Never use pencils on skulls. Never move specimens from one tray to another. Please always put your tray in good order before leaving the lab. Amphibians and reptiles — The herpetological specimens are preserved in 70% alcohol. Care must be taken to keep specimens moist at all times with damp paper towels, as drying is extremely harmful to them. Labels on alcoholic specimens are easily torn, as are the legs and tails, when the specimens are removed from the storage jars. Therefore, remove specimens with the utmost care. Please see that they are returned to their proper containers. Maps California’sMajor Geographic Major SubdivisionsGeographic Features of California A referenceThese forare amphibian the geographic and reptile ranges species that distributions you will be held responsible for in the amphibian and reptile labs Sierra Nevada Central Valley Great Basin Laboratory Exercises on Birds Laboratories I to IV (4 weeks) You will be introduced to approximately 110 species of common local birds, most of which you will have a good chance of seeing in the field. These species are grouped according to their habitats and seasonal status. From examination of study specimens, note the color, pattern, and texture of the plumage, and the detailed structure of bills and feet. As you study each species, compare your findings with the illustrations and descriptions offered in your field guide. Verify the field marks emphasized in the guide by examination of the specimens and look for differences within species that may be due to sex and/or age. Although no drawings are required for the bird laboratories, you are advised to take notes and make sketches of material examined so that personal impressions of each species are recorded in your own words. For precision in your descriptions use the terms given in Fig. 5. Learn the general food habits of those species presented and add to your knowledge of diet and foraging behavior through personal observation of the birds in the field. Correlate the food taken with the structure of the bill and feet. Attempt to discern probable adaptations, that is, correlations of structure and function. As you become better acquainted with each species in the field you should be able to see where and how the bird actually gathers the food listed. Furthermore, field experience with each kind of bird will reveal that adaptations to the environment are to be seen not only in the structures related to style and place of foraging, but also