Using Herps (snakes, lizards, frogs) to Demonstrate Genetic Principals in the Classroom

 

Eileen Underwood

Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2005, Volume 26

Abstract

Reptiles and amphibians (aka “herps”) seem to intrigue most students and thus can be used to engage students in a variety of biological principals, especially genetics. Bringing animals into the classroom, or having them reside at the back of the teaching lab, can be useful in grabbing the students’ attention and interest. In this miniworkshop, a small number of animals were used to demonstrate how this has successfully accomplished at BGSU, both in the undergraduate General Genetics (BIOL350) course and in a non-majors Introductory Biology (BIOL104) course. Of course for this to work, the animals must be maintained successfully, so abbreviated care sheets, designed to be printed, laminated and attached to cages, have been included for the most readily available and easily maintained species.

Keywords:  frogs, lizard, snake

Bowling Green State University, Ohio (2004)