Biology of the Amphibians

Biology of the Amphibians is taught at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, GA by Executive Director Mark Mandica. The class is offered through Agnes Scott's Continuing Education Program over Zoom, and is open to all (18+). 100% Online | Live class | 8 week program | Offered every Fall starting in Sept. Amphibians (frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, efts and caecilians) are an incredibly diverse and interesting clade. This course explores the taxonomy of the major types of amphibians; defining each group and the characters that unite them before examining their biodiversity and adaptations. This course will be a deep dive into the biology, morphology, physiology, biogeography, and evolution of amphibians. Topics such as reproduction, metamorphosis, functional morphology, freeze tolerance, and phenotypic plasticity will be covered in splendid detail. Special emphasis will be placed on the amphibians native to the Southeastern US. The course assumes a little understanding of Biology and Comparative Anatomy, but are not requirements. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Georgia (Jensen, et al) is suggested reading, and all required course materials are available for download. Biology of the Amphibians is 1 of 2 independent courses taught at Agnes Scott College by the Amphibian Foundation's Co-Founder Mark Mandica, and is offered each Fall semester.