Herpetology B/C

[GurtYo]

Thanks! Regionals is in March so I am running out of time. Hopefully, they will be more lenient.

Also, can you recommend any sources? I am currently using ADW, Wikipedia, and Live Science.

This is from the official site https://www.soinc.org/sites/default/fil ... ources.pdf

Thanks!

[Pastaman202]

The only real way to avoid this would be to look at a variety of websites and compare the sexual maturities, which is really a pain.

Thanks! Regionals is in March so I am running out of time. Hopefully, they will be more lenient.

Also, can you recommend any sources? I am currently using ADW, Wikipedia, and Live Science.

Most of those sources contains species facts, so whenever you see something different on a test, the proctors are probably looking at a different species of the same genus.

[GurtYo]

Does anyone have binder compiling tips? What should be included for each species, the amount of info, how to find information quickly when taking the test, things like that.

[dvegadvol]

To start, make a template: ID, Anatomy, Physiology, etc and use it for each entry. Use a map to show where it is present, pictures to help ID and use a small typeface, allowing room to pencil in notes from each invitational... That's a start

[Reema.panini]

So does anyone know for sure if the species that they are using in the tests are gonna be from North America only? We’ve been studying those species, but from reading through, it looks like we should study for every other specie as well.

First of all, we live in North America, so it's very likely that we'd be tested on North American specimens, just like at a state competition the test writer might ask a question about your specific state. Second of all, we only study the taxa on the official list, and we're only really supposed to study species if the genus has two major ones and we need to know the difference. (For example, genus Glyptemys with bog turtle and wood turtle.) But you should only be taking notes on genera and higher classifications on the list (except the ones I just described).

Ok so I actually just got put onto this event cuz the other person dropped out so I really have no clue what to do and my regional comp is in a couple of weeks. I’ve been using the National Audubon Society Field Guide, but I’ve been getting confused because, for example, under Mud turtles, it lists the the species Mexican, Sonora, Striped, Yellow, and then a Mud Turtle with the subspecies Eastern (k.s.subrubrum), Florida (k.s.steindachneri), and Mississippi (k.s.hippocrepis). I don’t know whether to list info for all the species, only use the specific Mud Turtle listing, or just only put the general info it gave at the top of the section on the entire Kinosternidae family. So hopefully you can understand my confusion. I would ask my partner but she hasn’t done anything at all regarding this event. Thanks!

[kate!]

So does anyone know for sure if the species that they are using in the tests are gonna be from North America only? We’ve been studying those species, but from reading through, it looks like we should study for every other specie as well.

First of all, we live in North America, so it's very likely that we'd be tested on North American specimens, just like at a state competition the test writer might ask a question about your specific state. Second of all, we only study the taxa on the official list, and we're only really supposed to study species if the genus has two major ones and we need to know the difference. (For example, genus Glyptemys with bog turtle and wood turtle.) But you should only be taking notes on genera and higher classifications on the list (except the ones I just described).

Ok so I actually just got put onto this event cuz the other person dropped out so I really have no clue what to do and my regional comp is in a couple of weeks. I’ve been using the National Audubon Society Field Guide, but I’ve been getting confused because, for example, under Mud turtles, it lists the the species Mexican, Sonora, Striped, Yellow, and then a Mud Turtle with the subspecies Eastern (k.s.subrubrum), Florida (k.s.steindachneri), and Mississippi (k.s.hippocrepis). I don’t know whether to list info for all the species, only use the specific Mud Turtle listing, or just only put the general info it gave at the top of the section on the entire Kinosternidae family. So hopefully you can understand my confusion. I would ask my partner but she hasn’t done anything at all regarding this event. Thanks!

First of all, you should be using more than just one resource. Field guides aren't always the best, so try using websites like Animal Diversity Web. For that specific situation, you only need to know about the family Kinosternidae. You only have to write information about what is listed on the official list. If it says family, do info about the entire family, not the genera within it (unless those are also listed).

[UTF-8 U+6211 U+662F]

First of all, we live in North America, so it's very likely that we'd be tested on North American specimens, just like at a state competition the test writer might ask a question about your specific state. Second of all, we only study the taxa on the official list, and we're only really supposed to study species if the genus has two major ones and we need to know the difference. (For example, genus Glyptemys with bog turtle and wood turtle.) But you should only be taking notes on genera and higher classifications on the list (except the ones I just described).

Ok so I actually just got put onto this event cuz the other person dropped out so I really have no clue what to do and my regional comp is in a couple of weeks. I’ve been using the National Audubon Society Field Guide, but I’ve been getting confused because, for example, under Mud turtles, it lists the the species Mexican, Sonora, Striped, Yellow, and then a Mud Turtle with the subspecies Eastern (k.s.subrubrum), Florida (k.s.steindachneri), and Mississippi (k.s.hippocrepis). I don’t know whether to list info for all the species, only use the specific Mud Turtle listing, or just only put the general info it gave at the top of the section on the entire Kinosternidae family. So hopefully you can understand my confusion. I would ask my partner but she hasn’t done anything at all regarding this event. Thanks!

First of all, you should be using more than just one resource. Field guides aren't always the best, so try using websites like Animal Diversity Web. For that specific situation, you only need to know about the family Kinosternidae. You only have to write information about what is listed on the official list. If it says family, do info about the entire family, not the genera within it (unless those are also listed).

If there are important differences between the genera, then those are also worth noting down

[Reema.panini]

Ok so I actually just got put onto this event cuz the other person dropped out so I really have no clue what to do and my regional comp is in a couple of weeks. I’ve been using the National Audubon Society Field Guide, but I’ve been getting confused because, for example, under Mud turtles, it lists the the species Mexican, Sonora, Striped, Yellow, and then a Mud Turtle with the subspecies Eastern (k.s.subrubrum), Florida (k.s.steindachneri), and Mississippi (k.s.hippocrepis). I don’t know whether to list info for all the species, only use the specific Mud Turtle listing, or just only put the general info it gave at the top of the section on the entire Kinosternidae family. So hopefully you can understand my confusion. I would ask my partner but she hasn’t done anything at all regarding this event. Thanks!

First of all, you should be using more than just one resource. Field guides aren't always the best, so try using websites like Animal Diversity Web. For that specific situation, you only need to know about the family Kinosternidae. You only have to write information about what is listed on the official list. If it says family, do info about the entire family, not the genera within it (unless those are also listed).

If there are important differences between the genera, then those are also worth noting down

Ok thanks! That really cleared it up for me!

[GurtYo]

Have you guys seen an abundance of cladograms on your past tests, or are they farely rare?

[UTF-8 U+6211 U+662F]

Have you guys seen an abundance of cladograms on your past tests, or are they farely rare?

Fairly rare, although be prepared to answer how different genera/families are similar anatomically