Amphibians and Reptiles

[Deeisenberg]

you don't have to put in sticky notes, you can just write on the edges if someone has tiny neat handwriting, you can even put it in junk parts of the book. You should use petersons because if they mention it even in passing on the rules, it will be one of the main question sources. Also, you should have information from many resources, online, audubon, petersons, and any other books, in your notes.

Also BIG TIP
Try not to use colors to identify, it is usually unreliable. Note there are exceptions, such as coral snakes, sistrurus, malaclemys, chrysemys, helodermatidae, etc.

[oh joy]

Are the post-it's allowed 2 stick out of the field guide?

[Pleiades]

Yeah, color would in fact be a good way to id coral snakes. You really shouldnt rely on it though for other species.

The post it notes should be able to stick out of the field guide. The rules say nothing about not allowing them and whatever isnt outlined in the rules is allowed unless it violates the spirit of the problem

[Deeisenberg]

however the red touches yellow isn't flawless for coral snakes of north america, even if you don't count central america as part of north america (which I do). For instance the M. elegans elegans is black and orange, and it occurs in mexico

[oh joy]

are mud puppies and water dogs considered the same thing during the tests?
or do u have 2 specifically write "water dog" or "mud puppies" if they ask u to identify one?

(yeah, im quoting myself)
what if they ask 4 the common name, do we have to distinguish the two apart? It says: "Proteidae – mud puppies and water dogs" on the list.

[crabnebula143]

oh joy-

usually the competition will only ask you to identify up to the genus. Last year at regionals/states there were only 2/3 questions that asked you for the common name. At nationals I don't remember being asked any common names.

I would memorized the common names depending on how much time you have on your hand to spend on this event, or if your region/state is really competitive.

[Deeisenberg]

You should not have to distinguish between mudpuppies and waterdogs, and if they ask for common name, it is almost certainly fine to put both. However you are more likely to be asked for the most specific taxa of any given specimen that is on the list, in this case family proteidae. They cannot ask you for the genus however of any taxa, only taxa for which some genus or genera are provided on the list. There are to be absolutely NO questions on identification of ANY species. It is also by any reasonable interpretation of the rules illegal to ask questions on species, though some event supervisors and test writers can be incompetent and do so anyway, which you might want to prepare for with a small amount of information on any species that would normally be considered of great ecological and scientific importance.

[Pleiades]

We had to do a lot of identifying of species on my test at states. We also had to know about each and every species.

[Deeisenberg]

Unless they say something about it on the website for your states, which they can do, they are not allowed to do anything of the sort.

[Pleiades]

sure, they're not allowed to. but they do anyway they do that in many events in my state I just have to prepare more than most people