Australian Wildlife Biology

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

Estimated total time commitment of 170 hours

50 points of level 1 subjects.

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This subject includes a number of off-campus excursions (maximum duration: 4.5 hours), during which students will conduct surveys on wildlife in urban parks.

For the purposes of considering applications for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005) and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, this subject requires all students to actively and safely participate in practical activities. Students who feel their disability may impact upon their participation are encouraged to discuss this with the Subject Coordinator and the Disability Liaison Unit. http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject will introduce students to the biology of Australia's vertebrate fauna with an emphasis on ecology and behaviour of frogs, reptiles, birds and mammals. There will be particular focus on the adaptations of the fauna to the unique and uncertain nature of the Australian terrestrial environment. A variety of topics will be discussed including diversity of Australian vertebrate groups in comparison to other parts of the world; the impact of human activities and introduced animals on native fauna; wildlife diseases; and the ethics associated with research and experimentation on animals.

Upon completion of this subject students should have an appreciation of the diversity, natural history and uniqueness of a broad range of Australian wildlife; and a sound knowledge of the interactions between wildlife and natural and human-modified environments.

Practical work including practical notebook and written reports on excursions totalling up to 1200 words and due during the semester (40%); a test comprising short written answers and multiple choice held mid semester (10%); a 2-hour written examination in the examination period (50%).

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This subject potentially can be taken as a breadth subject component for the following courses:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Bachelor of Environments
• Bachelor of Music

You should visit learn more about breadth subjects and read the breadth requirements for your degree, and should discuss your choice with your student adviser, before deciding on your subjects.

This subject builds upon generic skills developed in first-year subjects, including an ability to approach and assimilate new knowledge and an ability to use that knowledge to evaluate and communicate the ideas. Students should learn how to observe critically and to use the results of those observations to pose and answer theoretical questions and to solve practical problems. They should gain experience in mastering the terminology of a scientific field and then in using that mastery to access an established body of scientific literature and material and to develop the ability to critically evaluate questions and issues in that scientific field. Students should also learn how to collect and interpret data in field situations and write this up as a scientific report.

This subject is available for science credit to students enrolled in the BSc (both pre-2008 and new degrees), BASc or a combined BSc course.