Herpetology

This definition of "herps" (otherwise called "herptiles" or "herpetofauna") excludes fish; however, it is not uncommon for herpetological and ichthyological scientific societies to collaborate.

For instance, groups such as the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists have co-published journals and hosted conferences to foster the exchange of ideas between the fields.

Herpetological studies can offer benefits relevant to other fields by providing research on the role of amphibians and reptiles in global ecology.

It is derived from the archaic term "herpetile", with roots back to Linnaeus's classification of animals, in which he grouped reptiles and amphibians in the same class.

The field of herpetology can be divided into areas dealing with particular taxonomic groups such as frogs and other amphibians (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, evolution, physiology, behavior, taxonomy, or molecular biology of amphibians and reptiles.