An overview of amphibian health and the types of diseases that occur in wild amphibians. The course will be a combination of lecture and lab sessions. Lecture and discussion topics will cover basic amphibian biology, and recognition of normal health and disease, including developmental malformation identification. Hands-on lab sessions will provide experience in handling live amphibians, anatomy, and tissue collection. Principles of amphibian survey techniques will be described, especially surveys conducted to identify the occurrence of disease and malformation. Participants will also learn how to conduct surveys in ways that minimize handling stress and potential disease transmission.

College Credit:  TBA

Who Should Attend:  Anyone interested in amphibians, amphibian populations, and those involved in planning and conducting amphibian field surveys, especially surveys for disease and malformations.

Length:  3 days/24 hours

Objectives:  By the end of this session, the participant will be able to:

• Provide an overview of amphibian health and current knowledge of amphibian disease;
• Discuss the importance of disease and declines in wild populations;
• Demonstrate and practice techniques for amphibian handling, health assessment, anesthesia, and euthanasia;
• Provide training on amphibian anatomy, tissue and blood collection, and storage/shipping of samples; and
• Participants will receive example field data forms and health/malformation field assessment forms.                                                     

Availability:	Annually
Contact:	Alan Temple
Branch:	Conservation Science & Policy Branch
Phone:	304/876-7440