Editing Herpetology

{{short description|Study of amphibians and reptiles}}
{{for|the study of hepatic things (the liver, hepatitis, and so on)|Hepatology}}
{{for|the study of herpes|Herpes simplex research}}
{{Redirect|Herp|other uses|Herp (disambiguation)}}
[[File:Dendrobates tinctorius var. azureus - Karlsruhe Zoo 04.jpg|thumb|[[Blue poison dart frog]]]]
'''Herpetology''' (from [[Ancient Greek]] ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "[[reptile]]" or "creeping animal") is a branch of [[zoology]] concerned with the study of [[amphibian]]s (including [[frog]]s, [[salamander]]s, and [[caecilian]]s (Gymnophiona)) and [[reptile]]s (including [[snake]]s, [[lizard]]s, [[turtle]]s, [[crocodilia]]ns, and [[tuatara]]s).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Herpetology - Reptiles, Amphibians, Conservation - Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/herpetology |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Herpetology - Latest research and news - Nature |url=https://www.nature.com/subjects/herpetology |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=www.nature.com}}</ref> [[Birds]], which are [[Cladistics|cladistically]] included within Reptilia, are traditionally excluded here; the separate scientific study of birds is the subject of [[ornithology]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ornithology - Bird Identification, Behavior & Conservation - Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/ornithology |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}</ref>

The precise definition of herpetology is the study of [[ectothermic|ectothermic (cold-blooded)]] [[tetrapod]]s. This definition of "herps" (otherwise called "herptiles" or "herpetofauna") excludes [[fish]]; however, it is not uncommon for herpetological and [[ichthyology|ichthyological]] scientific societies to collaborate. For instance, groups such as the [[American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists]] have co-published [[Academic journal|journals]] and hosted [[conference]]s to foster the exchange of ideas between the fields.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Recent Meetings |url=https://www.asih.org/meetings/recent-meetings |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=American Society of Ichthyologists and Herptetologists |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Herpetological society|Herpetological societies]] are formed to promote interest in reptiles and amphibians, both [[Captivity|captive]] and wild.

Herpetological studies can offer benefits relevant to other fields by providing research on the role of amphibians and reptiles in [[ecology|global ecology]]. For example, by monitoring amphibians that are very sensitive to environmental changes, herpetologists record visible warnings that significant [[climate change]]s are taking place.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why are amphibian populations declining? - U.S. Geological Survey |url=https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/why-are-amphibian-populations-declining |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=www.usgs.gov}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Amphibians as indicators of environmental health |url=https://www.amphibianark.org/the-crisis/amphibians-as-indicators/ |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=Amphibian Ark |language=en-US}}</ref> Although they can be deadly, some [[toxin]]s and [[venom]]s produced by reptiles and amphibians are useful in [[human medicine]]. Currently, some [[snake venom]] has been used to create [[anti-coagulants]] that work to treat [[stroke]]s and [[Myocardial infarction|heart attacks]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=How venoms are shaping medical advances - BBC Earth |url=https://www.bbcearth.com/news/how-venoms-are-shaping-medical-advances |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=www.bbcearth.com |language=en}}</ref>

==Naming and etymology==
The word ''herpetology'' is from the [[Ancient Greek]] words ἑρπετόν (''herpetón''), meaning "creeping animal", and λόγος (''lógos''), meaning "study".<ref>{{Cite web |title=herpetology {{!}} Etymology of herpetology by etymonline |url=https://www.etymonline.com/word/herpetology |access-date=2024-03-05 |website=www.etymonline.com |language=en}}</ref> 

"Herp" is a [[Vernacular|vernacular term]] for non-avian reptiles and amphibians. It is derived from the archaic term "herpetile", with roots back to [[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus's]] classification of animals, in which he grouped reptiles and amphibians in the same class. There are over 6700 [[species]] of amphibians<ref name="AmphibiaWeb">{{cite web|url=http://amphibiaweb.org/ |title=AmphibiaWeb |publisher=AmphibiaWeb |access-date=2012-08-13}}</ref> and over 9000 species of reptiles.<ref name="ReptileSpecies">{{cite web|url=http://www.reptile-database.org/db-info/SpeciesStat.html |title=Species Statistics February 2012 |publisher=Reptile-database.org |access-date=2012-08-13}}</ref> 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]], the captive care and breeding of reptiles and amphibians.

==Subfields==
The field of herpetology can be divided into areas dealing with particular [[Taxonomy (biology)|taxonomic]] groups such as frogs and other amphibians ([[batrachology]]),<ref name="Wareham2005">{{cite book|author=D.C. Wareham|title=Elsevier's Dictionary of Herpetological and Related Terminology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bqDDmwLgMXcC&pg=PR9|date=2005|publisher=Elsevier|isbn=978-0-08-046017-8}}</ref><ref name="Angelici2015">{{cite book|author=Francesco M. Angelici|title=Problematic Wildlife: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=S1c-CwAAQBAJ&pg=PA584|date= 2015|publisher=Springer|isbn=978-3-319-22246-2|pages=584–585}}</ref> snakes (ophiology or ophidiology), lizards (saurology) and turtles (cheloniology, chelonology, or testudinology).<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rhodin |first=Anders G. J. |date=2 August 2017 |title=Turtles of the World: Annotated Checklist and Atlas of Taxonomy, Synonymy, Distribution, and Conservation Status (8th Ed.) |url=https://www.academia.edu/53519041 |journal=Chelonian Research Foundation and Turtle Conservancy |via=[[Academia.edu]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Inger |first=Robert F. |date=1992 |title=A Bimodal Feeding System in a Stream-Dwelling Larva of Rhacophorus from Borneo |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1446167 |journal=Copeia |volume=1992 |issue=3 |pages=887–890 |doi=10.2307/1446167 |jstor=1446167 |issn=0045-8511}}</ref>

More generally, herpetologists work on functional problems in the [[ecology]], [[evolution]], [[physiology]], [[behavior]], taxonomy, or [[molecular biology]] of amphibians and reptiles. Amphibians or reptiles can be used as [[model organism]]s for specific questions in these fields, such as the role of frogs in the ecology of a [[wetland]]. All of these areas are related through their evolutionary history, an example being the evolution of [[viviparity]] (including behavior and [[reproduction]]).<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Blackburn|first=Daniel G.|title=Squamate Reptiles as Model Organisms for the Evolution of Viviparity|date=December 2006|journal=Herpetological Monographs|volume=20|issue=1|pages=131–146|doi=10.1655/0733-1347(2007)20[131:SRAMOF]2.0.CO;2|s2cid=86044099 |issn=0733-1347}}</ref>

==Careers==
Career options in the field of herpetology include [[Research|lab research]], [[Field research|field studies]] and surveys, assistance in veterinary and medical procedures, zoological staff, museum staff, and college teaching.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Herpetologist Job Description [Updated for 2023] |url=https://www.indeed.com/ |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=www.indeed.com |language=en-US}}</ref>

In modern academic science, it is rare for an individual to solely consider themselves 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 biology|evolutionary biologist]] who is also a herpetologist may choose to work on an issue such as the evolution of warning coloration in [[coral snake]]s.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Rojas|first1=Bibiana|last2=Valkonen|first2=Janne|last3=Nokelainen|first3=Ossi|date=2015-05-04|title=Aposematism|journal=Current Biology|language=en|volume=25|issue=9|pages=R350–R351|doi=10.1016/j.cub.2015.02.015|pmid=25942542|issn=0960-9822|doi-access=free|bibcode=2015CBio...25.R350R }}</ref>

Modern herpetological writers include [[Mark O'Shea (herpetologist)|Mark O'Shea]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mark O'Shea - The Official Website |url=https://www.markoshea.info/home.php |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=www.markoshea.info}}</ref> and Philip Purser. Modern herpetological showmen include [[Jeff Corwin]], [[Steve Irwin]] (popularly known as the "Crocodile Hunter"), and [[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 coin themselves as "herpers".<ref>{{Cite web |last=jlp342 |date=2020-04-21 |title=What the Heck is Herping? |url=https://cwhl.vet.cornell.edu/article/what-heck-herping |access-date=2023-09-05 |website=cwhl.vet.cornell.edu |language=en}}</ref>

==Study==
Most colleges or universities do not offer a major in herpetology at the [[undergraduate education|undergraduate]] or the [[graduate school|graduate level]]. Instead, persons interested in herpetology select a major in the [[biology|biological sciences]]. The knowledge learned about all aspects of the [[Animal biology|biology of animals]] is then applied to an individual study of herpetology.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to Become a Herpetologist - EnvironmentalScience.org |url=https://www.environmentalscience.org/career/herpetologist |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=www.environmentalscience.org}}</ref>

==Journals==
Herpetology research is published in academic journals including ''[[Ichthyology & Herpetology]],'' founded in 1913<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ichthyology & Herpetology |url=http://www.ichthyologyandherpetology.org/ |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=Ichthyology & Herpetology |language=en-US}}</ref> (under the name ''Copeia'' in honour of [[Edward Drinker Cope]]); ''[[Herpetologica]],'' founded in 1936;<ref>{{Cite web |title=Herpetologica on JSTOR |url=https://www.jstor.org/journal/herpetologica |access-date=2023-11-16 |website=www.jstor.org |language=en}}</ref> ''Reptiles and amphibians'', founded in 1990;<ref>{{Cite web |title=About the Journal - Reptiles & Amphibians |url=https://journals.ku.edu/reptilesandamphibians/about |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=journals.ku.edu}}</ref> and ''Contemporary Herpetology,'' founded in 1997 and stopped publishing in 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Contemporary Herpetology |url=https://journals.ku.edu/ch |access-date=2023-09-06 |website=journals.ku.edu}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Amphibians|Reptiles}}
* [[Herping]]
* [[List of herpetologists]]
* [[:Category:Herpetology journals|List of herpetology academic journals]]
*[[Reptile Database]]
*[[AmphibiaWeb]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*[[species:Kraig Kerr Adler|Adler, Kraig]] (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|978-1628725117}}.
*[[:fr:Coleman Jett Goin|Goin, Coleman J.]]; [[species:Olive Lynda Bown Goin|Goin, Olive B.]]; [[:de:George Robert Zug|Zug, George R.]] (1978). ''Introduction to Herpetology, Third Edition''. San Francisco: W. H. Freeman and Company. xi + 378 pp. {{ISBN|0-7167-0020-4}}.

==External links==
{{wikibooks|Snakes of Europe}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20180830144519/https://iranian-herp.ir/ Iranian Herpetological Studies Institute (IHSI)]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110512224437/http://www.field-herpetology.co.uk/ Field Herpetology Guide]
*[http://www.asih.org American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists]
*[http://www.herpconbio.org Herpetological Conservation and Biology]
*[http://www.seh-herpetology.org/ Societas Europaea Herpetologica] Distribution Maps for European Reptiles and Amphibians
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050403114823/http://www.cnah.org/index.asp Center for North American Herpetology] over 500 species of reptiles and amphibians
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20190201081324/http://www.euroherp.com/ European Field Herping Community]
*[http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/wildlifeecol/herpetology/ New Zealand Herpetology] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020033530/http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/research/wildlifeecol/herpetology/ |date=2007-10-20 }}
*[http://www.chicagoherp.org/ Chicago Herpetological Society]
*[http://carlgans.org/biology-reptilia-online/ Biology of the Reptilia] is an online copy of the full text of a 22-volume 13,000-page summary of the state of research of reptiles.
*[http://www.herpmapper.org HerpMapper] is a database of [[reptile]] and [[amphibian]] sightings
*[http://herpatlas.sdnhm.org/ Amphibian and Reptile Atlas of Peninsular California], [[San Diego Natural History Museum]]
*[https://www.learnaboutcritters.org/primer A Primer on Reptiles and Amphibians]
*[http://www.fieldherpforum.com/forum/index.php Field Herp Forum]

{{Amphibians}}
{{Reptiles}}
{{Zoology}}
{{Branches of biology}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Herpetology| ]]
[[Category:Subfields of zoology]]
[[Category:Scoutcraft]]