Field Parasitology BIOL 4416/5416
Field Parasitology is offered during the May Mini session. It consists mostly of field and laboratory work. Parasitic organisms infect nearly all species of animal. We use a variety of techniques to collect several host species and inspect them for parasites. We also cover lab techniques for preserving and identifying the parasites. Lecture material covers introductions to the main parasitic groups and basic parasite ecology.
Some activities from Field Parasitology:
- Termite gut symbionts
- Completion of a tapeworm lifecycle
- Collecting freshwater fishes with gill nets, hoop nets, etc.
- Seining for marine fishes at the beach
- Collecting frogs and turtles
- Trapping small mammals
- Laboratory examination of host animals
- Staining and identifying parasites
