BIOLOGY 427 – MIDTERM ASSIGNMENT 2004
Mid-term Project – Due February 6, 2004
We are developing a website for the Cowan Vertebrate Museum. One of our ideas for
the website is to have an “Animal of the Month” which would feature the seasonal
activities for one B.C.-based species of terrestrial vertebrate* for each month of the
calendar. The species accounts could be rotated among years.
Topic selection and format:
Choose a species (or subspecies) from the pool of British Columbia Vertebrates (some
listed below). E-mail SS (Shirley@zoology.ubc.ca) your first three choices. Species
will be allocated to individuals in the order that they are received, and you will be
notified by e-mail which species you have assigned. You may not get your first choice of
species as certain species are always in high demand.
Write an article on its seasonal activity appropriate for a designated month. For example,
a species might be doing something interesting in a month, e.g. arriving or departing an
area, breeding etc. This article should focus on:
 Natural history (habitat requirements, diet, life history, etc.)
 The behavior or ecology of the species in the wild, focusing in detail on
important activities in the chosen month. Justify why you have chosen a
certain month for your species.
 If the species is of conservation concern, you could specify actions that are
needed to protect the species or its habitats, particularly during the specific
month you studied, e.g. if breeding, how to protect breeding habitat.
The main text of the report should be not more than 1000 words for the webpage
excluding captions to illustrations and references. Articles over the word limit will be
returned to the author for rewriting. Email SS (Shirley@zoology.ubc.ca) with an
electronic copy of your article.
The format is flexible, but should include: (1) clear headings, (2) maps of the species
range in B.C., (3) illustrations (or photographs, sketches) of the species, it’s habitats and
it’s behaviors relating to the month of interest. References should be given in full, and all
personal communications and sources of graphics and illustrations acknowledged.
NOTE: Where there is a suspicion of plagarism, students will be directed to the Dean's
office. Plagarism may result in failure of the course or suspension from UBC. For
more information on what constitutes plagarism, consult
http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/bio1/
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Advice on Research
 Start by getting familiar with your species, e.g. its annual cycle. This could
include activities such as breeding, and migration or hibernation if applicable.
Determine if it is listed as a species of conservation concern.
 Consult handbooks on the group to which the species belongs (see lab manual for
some references). Field guides, and local natural history books may also be
useful.
 Have a look at B.C. Government web pages, information produced by the
Conservation Data Centre and search for published information on your species in
library databases such as OVID.
 Discuss the project with an instuctor, or a person knowledgeable about the species
on campus or elsewhere.
* Marine mammals are “terrestrial vertebrates” in this context.
Evaluation will be based on:
Quality of scientific information (40%)
Accuracy of the description of activities/behavior for the given month (35%)
Vividness of the writing and choice of illustrations and maps (25%)
Suggested References for Writing:
 Strunk, Jr. W. and White, E.B. The Elements of Style. MacMillan.
 Day, R.A. 1994. How to write and publish a scientific paper. 4th. Oryx.
 CBE Style Manual. 6th Ed. (i.e. Council of Biology Editors)
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Selected Species List:
This is only a selection of species. You are welcome to pick another species. Note some
of the following species have more than one subspecies in B.C.
American Badger
American Robin
Ancient Murrelet
Anna's Hummingbird
Bald Eagle
Big Brown Bat
Bighorn Sheep
Black-capped Chickadee
Black-crowned Night Heron
Bobcat
Brant
Brewer's Sparrow
Bushy-tailed Woodrat
Canyon Wren
Clark's Nutcracker
Coast Mole
Common Garter Snake
Coyote
Dall's Porpoise
Double-crested Cormorant
Downy Woodpecker
Ensatina
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Flammulated Owl
Great Basin Spadefoot Toad
Great Horned Owl
Grey Whale
Hermit Thrush
Hooded Merganser
Humpback Whale
Lesser Snow Goose
Long-tailed Duck
Lynx
Meadow Vole
Merlin
Mink
Mountain Beaver
Mule Deer
Muskrat
Northern Alligator Lizard
Northern Flicker
Northern Harrier
Northern Sea Lion
Northwestern Salamander
Osprey
Pacific Tree Frog
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Painted Turtle
Parasitic Jaeger
Porcupine
Racer
Racoon
Red Squirrel
Red-breasted Sapsucker
Red-legged Frog
Rocky Mountain Pika
Roosevelt Elk
Rough-legged Hawk
Rough-skinned Newt
Sandhill Crane
Snowshoe Hare
Song Sparrow
Spotted Towhee
Tiger Salamander
Townsend's Solitaire
Vancouver Island Marmot
Western rattlesnake
Western Sandpiper
White-tailed Ptarmigan
Yellow-bellied Marmot
Yellow-breasted Chat