# Herpetology

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Study of amphibians and reptiles

For the study of hepatic things (the liver, hepatitis, and so on), see [Hepatology](/source/Hepatology).

For the study of herpes, see [Herpes simplex research](/source/Herpes_simplex_research).

"Herp" redirects here. For other uses, see [Herp (disambiguation)](/source/Herp_(disambiguation)).

[Blue poison dart frog](/source/Blue_poison_dart_frog)

**Herpetology** (from [Ancient Greek](/source/Ancient_Greek) ἑρπετόν *herpetón*, meaning "[reptile](/source/Reptile)" or "creeping animal") is a branch of [zoology](/source/Zoology) concerned with the study of [amphibians](/source/Amphibian) (including [frogs](/source/Frog), [salamanders](/source/Salamander), and [caecilians](/source/Caecilian) (Gymnophiona)) and [reptiles](/source/Reptile) (including [snakes](/source/Snake), [lizards](/source/Lizard), [turtles](/source/Turtle), [crocodilians](/source/Crocodilia), and [tuataras](/source/Tuatara)).[1][2] [Birds](/source/Birds), which are [cladistically](/source/Cladistics) included within Reptilia, are traditionally excluded here; the separate scientific study of birds is the subject of [ornithology](/source/Ornithology).[3]

The precise definition of herpetology is the study of [ectothermic (cold-blooded)](/source/Ectothermic) [tetrapods](/source/Tetrapod). This definition of "herps" (otherwise called "herptiles" or "herpetofauna") excludes [fish](/source/Fish); however, herpetological and [ichthyological](/source/Ichthyology) scientific societies often collaborate. For instance, groups such as the [American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists](/source/American_Society_of_Ichthyologists_and_Herpetologists) have co-published [journals](/source/Academic_journal) and hosted [conferences](/source/Conference) to foster the exchange of ideas between the fields.[4] [Herpetological societies](/source/Herpetological_society) are formed to promote interest in reptiles and amphibians, both [captive](/source/Captivity) and wild.

Herpetological studies can offer benefits relevant to other fields by providing research on the role of amphibians and reptiles in [global ecology](/source/Ecology). For example, by monitoring amphibians that are very sensitive to environmental changes, herpetologists record visible warnings that significant [climate changes](/source/Climate_change) are taking place.[5][6] Although they can be deadly, some [toxins](/source/Toxin) and [venoms](/source/Venom) produced by reptiles and amphibians are useful in [human medicine](/source/Human_medicine). Currently, some [snake venom](/source/Snake_venom) has been used to create [anti-coagulants](/source/Anti-coagulants) that work to treat [strokes](/source/Stroke) and [heart attacks](/source/Myocardial_infarction).[7]

## Naming and etymology

The word *herpetology* is from the [Ancient Greek](/source/Ancient_Greek) words ἑρπετόν (*herpetón*), meaning "creeping animal", and λόγος (*lógos*), meaning "study".[8]

"Herp" is a [vernacular term](/source/Vernacular) for non-avian reptiles and amphibians. It is derived from the Greek term "herpeton", with roots back to [Linnaeus's](/source/Carl_Linnaeus) classification of animals, in which he grouped reptiles and amphibians in the same class. There are over 6700 [species](/source/Species) of amphibians[9] and over 9000 species of reptiles.[10] Despite its modern taxonomic irrelevance, the term has persisted, particularly in the names of herpetology, the scientific study of non-avian reptiles and amphibians, and [herpetoculture](/source/Herpetoculture), the captive care and breeding of reptiles and amphibians.

## Subfields

The field of herpetology can be divided into areas dealing with particular [taxonomic](/source/Taxonomy_(biology)) groups such as frogs and other amphibians ([batrachology](/source/Batrachology)),[11][12] snakes (ophiology or ophidiology), lizards (saurology) and turtles (cheloniology, chelonology, or testudinology).[13][14]

More generally, herpetologists work on functional problems in the [ecology](/source/Ecology), [evolution](/source/Evolution), [physiology](/source/Physiology), [behavior](/source/Behavior), taxonomy, or [molecular biology](/source/Molecular_biology) of amphibians and reptiles. Amphibians or reptiles can be used as [model organisms](/source/Model_organism) for specific questions in these fields, such as the role of frogs in the ecology of a [wetland](/source/Wetland). All of these areas are related through their evolutionary history, an example being the evolution of [viviparity](/source/Viviparity) (including behavior and [reproduction](/source/Reproduction)).[15]

## Careers

Career options in the field of herpetology include [lab research](/source/Research), [field studies](/source/Field_research) and surveys, assistance in veterinary and medical procedures, zoological staff, museum staff, and college teaching.[16]

In modern academic science, it is rare for an individual to consider themselves solely to be a herpetologist. Most individuals focus on a particular field such as ecology, evolution, taxonomy, physiology, or molecular biology, and within that field ask questions pertaining to or best answered by examining reptiles and amphibians. For example, an [evolutionary biologist](/source/Evolutionary_biology) who is also a herpetologist may choose to work on an issue such as the evolution of warning coloration in [coral snakes](/source/Coral_snake).[17]

Modern herpetological writers include [Mark O'Shea](/source/Mark_O'Shea_(herpetologist))[18] and Philip Purser. Modern herpetological showmen include [Jeff Corwin](/source/Jeff_Corwin), [Steve Irwin](/source/Steve_Irwin) (popularly known as the "Crocodile Hunter"), and [Austin Stevens](/source/Austin_Stevens), popularly known as "Austin Snakeman" in the TV series *Austin Stevens: Snakemaster*.

Herpetology is an established hobby around the world due to the varied biodiversity in many environments. Many amateur herpetologists call themselves as "herpers".[19]

## Study

Most colleges or universities do not offer a major in herpetology at the [undergraduate](/source/Undergraduate_education) or the [graduate level](/source/Graduate_school). Instead, persons interested in herpetology select a major in the [biological sciences](/source/Biology). The knowledge learned about all aspects of the [biology of animals](/source/Animal_biology) is then applied to an individual study of herpetology.[20]

## Journals

Herpetology research is published in academic journals including *[Ichthyology & Herpetology](/source/Ichthyology_%26_Herpetology),* founded in 1913[21] (under the name *Copeia* in honour of [Edward Drinker Cope](/source/Edward_Drinker_Cope)); *[Herpetologica](/source/Herpetologica),* founded in 1936;[22] *Reptiles and amphibians*, founded in 1990;[23] and *Contemporary Herpetology,* founded in 1997 and stopped publishing in 2009.[24]

## See also

- [Amphibians portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Amphibians)
- [Reptiles portal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:Reptiles)

- [Herping](/source/Herping)

- [List of herpetologists](/source/List_of_herpetologists)

- [List of herpetology academic journals](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Herpetology_journals)

- [Reptile Database](/source/Reptile_Database)

- [AmphibiaWeb](/source/AmphibiaWeb)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** ["Herpetology - Reptiles, Amphibians, Conservation - Britannica"](https://www.britannica.com/science/herpetology). *www.britannica.com*. Retrieved 2023-11-24.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Herpetology - Latest research and news - Nature"](https://www.nature.com/subjects/herpetology). *www.nature.com*. Retrieved 2023-11-24.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Ornithology - Bird Identification, Behavior & Conservation - Britannica"](https://www.britannica.com/science/ornithology). *www.britannica.com*. Retrieved 2023-09-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["Recent Meetings"](https://www.asih.org/meetings/recent-meetings). *American Society of Ichthyologists and Herptetologists*. Retrieved 2023-09-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Why are amphibian populations declining? - U.S. Geological Survey"](https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/why-are-amphibian-populations-declining). *www.usgs.gov*. 31 December 2016. Retrieved 2023-09-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** ["Amphibians as indicators of environmental health"](https://www.amphibianark.org/the-crisis/amphibians-as-indicators/). *Amphibian Ark*. Retrieved 2023-09-27.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["How venoms are shaping medical advances - BBC Earth"](https://www.bbcearth.com/news/how-venoms-are-shaping-medical-advances). *www.bbcearth.com*. Retrieved 2023-09-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** ["herpetology | Etymology of herpetology by etymonline"](https://www.etymonline.com/word/herpetology). *www.etymonline.com*. Retrieved 2024-03-05.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-AmphibiaWeb_9-0)** ["AmphibiaWeb"](https://amphibiaweb.org/). AmphibiaWeb. Retrieved 2012-08-13.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-ReptileSpecies_10-0)** ["Species Statistics February 2012"](http://www.reptile-database.org/db-info/SpeciesStat.html). Reptile-database.org. Retrieved 2012-08-13.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Wareham2005_11-0)** D.C. Wareham (2005). [*Elsevier's Dictionary of Herpetological and Related Terminology*](https://books.google.com/books?id=bqDDmwLgMXcC&pg=PR9). Elsevier. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-08-046017-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-08-046017-8).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-Angelici2015_12-0)** Francesco M. Angelici (2015). [*Problematic Wildlife: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach*](https://books.google.com/books?id=S1c-CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA584). Springer. pp. 584–585. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-3-319-22246-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-3-319-22246-2).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Rhodin, Anders G. J. (2 August 2017). ["Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (8th Ed.)"](https://www.academia.edu/53519041). *Chelonian Research Foundation and Turtle Conservancy* – via [Academia.edu](/source/Academia.edu).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** Inger, Robert F. (1992). ["A Bimodal Feeding System in a Stream-Dwelling Larva of Rhacophorus from Borneo"](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1446167). *Copeia*. **1992** (3): 887–890. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.2307/1446167](https://doi.org/10.2307%2F1446167). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0045-8511](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0045-8511). [JSTOR](/source/JSTOR_(identifier)) [1446167](https://www.jstor.org/stable/1446167).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Blackburn, Daniel G. (December 2006). "Squamate Reptiles as Model Organisms for the Evolution of Viviparity". *Herpetological Monographs*. **20** (1): 131–146. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1655/0733-1347(2007)20\[131:SRAMOF\]2.0.CO;2](https://doi.org/10.1655%2F0733-1347%282007%2920%5B131%3ASRAMOF%5D2.0.CO%3B2). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0733-1347](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0733-1347). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [86044099](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:86044099).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** ["Herpetologist Job Description \[Updated for 2023\]"](https://www.indeed.com/). *www.indeed.com*. Retrieved 2023-09-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** Rojas, Bibiana; Valkonen, Janne; Nokelainen, Ossi (2015-05-04). ["Aposematism"](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cub.2015.02.015). *Current Biology*. **25** (9): R350–R351. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2015CBio...25.R350R](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2015CBio...25.R350R). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/j.cub.2015.02.015](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cub.2015.02.015). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0960-9822](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0960-9822). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [25942542](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25942542).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["Mark O'Shea - The Official Website"](https://www.markoshea.info/home.php). *www.markoshea.info*. Retrieved 2023-09-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** jlp342 (2020-04-21). ["What the Heck is Herping?"](https://cwhl.vet.cornell.edu/article/what-heck-herping). *cwhl.vet.cornell.edu*. Retrieved 2023-09-05.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_numeric_names:_authors_list))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** ["How to Become a Herpetologist - EnvironmentalScience.org"](https://www.environmentalscience.org/career/herpetologist). *www.environmentalscience.org*. Retrieved 2023-11-16.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-21)** ["Ichthyology & Herpetology"](http://www.ichthyologyandherpetology.org/). *Ichthyology & Herpetology*. Retrieved 2023-09-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-22)** ["Herpetologica on JSTOR"](https://www.jstor.org/journal/herpetologica). *www.jstor.org*. Retrieved 2023-11-16.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-23)** ["About the Journal - Reptiles & Amphibians"](https://journals.ku.edu/reptilesandamphibians/about). *journals.ku.edu*. Retrieved 2023-09-06.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-24)** ["Contemporary Herpetology"](https://journals.ku.edu/ch). *journals.ku.edu*. Retrieved 2023-09-06.

## Further reading

- [Adler, Kraig](https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Kraig_Kerr_Adler) (1989). *Contributions to the History of Herpetology*. Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR).

- Eatherley, Dan (2015). *Bushmaster: Raymond Ditmars and the Hunt for the World's Largest Viper*. New York: Arcade. 320 pp. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1628725117](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1628725117).

- [Goin, Coleman J.](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coleman_Jett_Goin); [Goin, Olive B.](https://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Olive_Lynda_Bown_Goin); [Zug, George R.](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Robert_Zug) (1978). *Introduction to Herpetology, Third Edition*. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman and Company. xi + 378 pp. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-7167-0020-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-7167-0020-4).

## External links

Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: ***[Snakes of Europe](https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Snakes_of_Europe)***

- [Iranian Herpetological Studies Institute (IHSI)](https://web.archive.org/web/20180830144519/https://iranian-herp.ir/)

- [Field Herpetology Guide](https://web.archive.org/web/20110512224437/http://www.field-herpetology.co.uk/)

- [American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists](http://www.asih.org)

- [Herpetological Conservation and Biology](https://www.herpconbio.org)

- [Societas Europaea Herpetologica](https://www.seh-herpetology.org/) Distribution Maps for European Reptiles and Amphibians

- [Center for North American Herpetology](https://web.archive.org/web/20050403114823/http://www.cnah.org/index.asp) over 500 species of reptiles and amphibians

- [European Field Herping Community](https://web.archive.org/web/20190201081324/http://www.euroherp.com/)

- [New Zealand Herpetology](http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/wildlifeecol/herpetology/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20071020033530/http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/wildlifeecol/herpetology/) 2007-10-20 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

- [Chicago Herpetological Society](https://www.chicagoherp.org/)

- [Biology of the Reptilia](https://carlgans.org/biology-reptilia-online/) is an online copy of the full text of a 22-volume 13,000-page summary of the state of research of reptiles.

- [HerpMapper](http://www.herpmapper.org) is a database of [reptile](/source/Reptile) and [amphibian](/source/Amphibian) sightings

- [Amphibian and Reptile Atlas of Peninsular California](http://herpatlas.sdnhm.org/), [San Diego Natural History Museum](/source/San_Diego_Natural_History_Museum)

- [A Primer on Reptiles and Amphibians](https://www.learnaboutcritters.org/primer)

- [Field Herp Forum](http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/index.php) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20250126161556/https://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/index.php?sid=78e2cdecb334c20bf8fa11b405e77359) 2025-01-26 at the [Wayback Machine](/source/Wayback_Machine)

v t e Extant amphibian positions by subclass Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Subphylum Craniata Superclass Tetrapoda Lissamphibia Anura (frogs) Urodela (salamanders) Gymnophiona (caecilians)

v t e Major extant reptile clades Lepidosauria Rhynchocephalia (tuataras) Squamata (snakes and lizards) Archelosauria Testudines (turtles) Archosauria Aves (birds) Crocodilia (crocodiles, alligators, caimans, and relatives) Outline of reptiles Reptiles portal Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata

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v t e Branches of biology Abiogenesis Aerobiology Agronomy Agrostology Anatomy Anthropogeny Anthropology Astrobiology Bacteriology Biochemistry Biogeography Biogeology Bioinformatics Biological engineering Biomathematics Biomechanics Biophysics Biosemiotics Biostatistics Biotechnology Botany Cell biology Cellular microbiology Chemical biology Chronobiology Cognitive biology Comparative biology Computational biology Conservation biology Cryobiology Cytogenetics Dendrology Developmental biology Ecological genetics Ecology Embryology Epidemiology Epigenetics Evolutionary biology Freshwater biology Generative biology Genetics Genomics Geobiology Gerontology Herpetology Histology Human biology Ichthyology Immunology Lipidology Mammalogy Marine biology Microbiology Molecular biology Mycology Neontology Neuroscience Nutrition Ornithology Osteology Paleontology Parasitology Pathology Pharmacology Photobiology Phycology Phylogenetics Physiology Pomology Primatology Proteomics Protistology Quantum biology Relational biology Reproductive biology Sociobiology Spatial biology Structural biology Synthetic biology Systematics Systems biology Taxonomy Teratology Toxicology Virology Virophysics Welfare biology Xenobiology Zoology See also History of biology Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine Timeline of biology and organic chemistry

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Herpetology](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpetology) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herpetology?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.