Animal Behavior In The Chiricahua Mountains

A Field Course For Teachers, Docents, & Wildlife Professionals

This 10-day field course in Animal Behavior is being offered at the Southwestern Research Station, located in The Chiricahua Mountains of southeastern Arizona. The dates are July 19 - 29, 2008.

According to Conservation International, the sky islands of southern Arizona (which include the Chiricahua Mountains) contain some of the richest reservoirs of plant and animal life on earth. It is this outstanding biodiversity that attracts scientists (and their students) from all over the world. During this intensive field course, we will focus on the behavior of a variety of invertebrate and vertebrate species. Our studies will include:

1. The Adaptability Of Behavior - color and odor preferences in the selection of nectar sources by hummingbirds.

2. Population Dynamics - the size of territory in harvester ants as a function of colony density.

3. Communication - the evolution of visual displays in iguanid lizards.

4. Social Behavior - orientation and communication in slave-making ants.

5. Mating Behavior - The role of auditory signals in mating behavior of spadefoot toads.

The course will include a daily multimedia lecture, and participation in projects being conducted by scientists at the Research Station. Emphasis will be placed on research design and hypothesis testing. Projects may vary, to take advantage of weather conditions, species availability, and visiting scientists.

Participants: The Animal Behavior Course is designed for teachers, museum and zoo docents, environmental professionals, or anyone who enjoys observing and understanding the behavior of animals in their natural habitat. The course will be limited to 12 participants. We are currently working with a variety of private and public agencies to help teachers achieve a formal certification for completing the course.

Instructor: Dr. Howard Topoff, Professor Emeritus of Biopsychology at the City University of New York. Dr. Topoff has been conducting field research on insect social behavior at the Southwestern Research Station for over 40 years.

Cost: $800.00 per person for 10 nights. This includes course tuition ($300) as well as room and 3 full meals each day at the Research Station ($500).

Please apply (via e-mail or snail mail) to:

Dr. Howard Topoff - P.O. Box 16366 - Portal, AZ 85632

Your application should contain your contact information and a brief statement of your interest in this course.