|
|
|
|
Researched by Tyler M. |
|
If you think of reptiles as slimy and squishy, then you are not cut out
for herpetology. Herpetologists are people who study reptiles and
amphibians for a living. In this report I am focusing on
reptiles. Reptiles are animals that are covered with rough
scales. They are also cold-blooded and lay eggs. There are many
different species of reptiles from the enormous Komodo dragon to the
tiny worm snake. There are some herpetologists who study venoms
and create antidotes, while others catch and tag animals to observe.
Herpetology
Herpetology is one of the several branches of biology.
Other related fields include, zoology (the study and care of animals),
orthinology (the study of birds), and ichthyology (the study of
fish). Herpetologists study venoms to create antidotes that helps
people to be saved from poisoning. Catching and tagging reptiles
and amphibians for observation gives information that everyone can
learn from and promotes discovery of new species. Some
herpetologists work at colleges where they study and teach other
students all about herpetology too.
History
Herpetology has been around for a long time. It first began in
the European countries such as Spain and Germany. Herpetology
comes from the Latin word “herp” meaning, crawling things.
Herpetology began in the U.S. in the late 1900’s. There were not
as many herpetologists then because the job wasn’t as popular at the
time. Over the years, herpetologists found out more about
different reptiles and amphibians, but there are still many, many more
reptiles and amphibians for herpetologists to find and study. Now
herpetologists are all over the U.S. and use different types of
technology to share information and study these amazing creatures of
the animal kingdom.
Pros and cons
Positive aspects about this job include finding new species and
learning new information about reptiles and amphibians that could
protect them in the future. Herpetologists also get to work
outside in the field. Herpetologists can experiment, teach, and
discover new medicines. There are other good aspects like making
new friends and having fun doing an interesting job.
Some of the problems with the job include herpetologists getting
poisoned by a bite or getting broken bones out in the field. No
one wants a broken bone during work time! The disappearing
amphibian phenomenon is a very bad and confusing problem that
herpetologists face. No one knows why the amphibian population is
decreasing so rapidly.
Even though there are several bad aspects to herpetology, there are
many positive things to make this an interesting job.
Degrees and scholarships
If your dream is to become a herpetologist, then during high school the
classes you will need are math, science, and English. Math
teaches statistics: graphs, charts, comparisons, etc. Science
deals with all the animal characteristics you would be familiar
with. And lastly, you would be required to write reports, so
English is important too. These classes will help you on your way
to becoming a successful herpetologist.
To become a herpetologist, in college, you will need 1 Bachelor’s
degree and 1 Master’s degree as a minimum requirement. To be a
professor you need 1 Bachelor’s degree, 1 Master’s degree, and 1 PhD.
Earnings
The earnings of herpetologists vary according to their education,
experience, and the type of work they have to do. A full time
herpetologist with lots of experience could have a salary of about
$80,000 to $100,000. New herpetologists just out of college will
have a salary of about $50,000 to $80,000.
Snakes
Snakes are the slithering wonders of the world. They have been
alive on Earth for millions of years. There are many different
kinds of snakes with many different kinds of defenses and ways of
capturing prey. Some snakes coil around their prey and suffocate
it. Others will ambush their prey and attack it when it comes
by. Poisoning is still their most common method of capturing prey.
Snakes have very interesting physical characteristics. Their
bodies are covered with smooth scales. Some scales are flat but
others can be “keeled” or, angled upward. Head shields are scales
that cover the heads of snakes. The scales underneath the snakes’
head are called “scutes”. The color of the scales depends on the
chromataphores. Pigments make the colors brown and black.
Snakes have no limbs, so they move using muscles on the bottom of their
bodies pushing in an upward movement. Their skulls’ allow upper
and lower jaws to move freely. The lower jaws on snakes don’t
fuse in front, but are held together by a rubbery substance.
Snakes’ teeth are like spears. They can pierce the skin of almost
any animal. They are curved backwards so that prey can’t escape
when bitten. Snakes with venom glands have an organ called the
Jacobson’s organ that releases venom from the venom glands into the
hollow fangs. The venom is then injected into the prey.
Snakes without venom glands, such as the python, constrict their prey
until it is suffocated. Then the snake will swallow it whole.
Snakes live all over the world except for Antarctica and the
arctic. They prefer warm climate because they are
cold-blooded. That means they can’t control their body
temperature. They need the heat from the environment. When
reptiles get too hot, they will move into the shade. Their blood
temperature drops rapidly when in the shade, so they move into the sun
again.
Snakes’ senses are very amazing. Their eyesight is very
acute. Snakes that hunt during the day have round pupils and
snakes that hunt at night have vertical oval pupils. Their eyes
can focus on things from different ranges. But snakes depend
mostly on their tongues to help them. When you see a snake flick
out its tongue, it smells! The tongue picks up particles off the
ground. Then, an organ on the top of its mouth called the
olfactory organ sends the particles’ smell to the brain. Snakes
lack taste buds. All snakes have little holes on each side of
their mouths. These holes are used to sense the body heat that is
given off by their prey. These are called “pit organs”.
As you can see, snakes are very interesting. With their long,
flexible bodies, their ways of capturing prey, and their spear-like
teeth, snakes are definitely a favorite of many herpetologists.
Crocodilians
Crocodilians are some of the biggest reptiles in the world. Both
alligators and crocodiles are classified as crocodilians. They
all have long noses that come to a point. The only difference
between the two is that the alligator has a longer snout. They
also have very sharp teeth with the bottom fourth tooth being extra
long. They have low, cigar-shaped bodies and have webbed
feet. Their legs are short, which keeps the crocs’ bellies on the
ground. Despite their short legs, crocs are very
powerful.
All crocodilians prefer large bodies of shallow water like marshes,
swamps, and slow rivers. They live in tropical places.
While swimming, crocs will keep their eyes and nostrils above the
water. They do this so they can see and breathe above water while
in the swamp.
Crocodilians and all other reptiles lay eggs. Sometimes, the
females will guard the eggs until they hatch. The females will
conceal their eggs under brush and vegetation in order to keep them
safe. The eggs will sometimes look like birds’ eggs! After
hatching the babies will go out to the swamp in their mom’s mouth,
then, they are free to go.
A crocodilians’ diet is all meat. They will eat fish, turtles,
and birds, but they can eat farm animals and people (such as
herpetologists) as well!
Turtles
Turtles can be found all over the world. There are over 1000
species of turtles. Terrapins are the turtles that people
eat. Tortoises are turtles that live all their lives on
land. Like all other reptiles, turtles are cold-blooded.
Turtles have beak-like mouths. They use them to eat their diet of
plants and seaweed. The only exception is the fish-eating
snapping turtles. The snapping turtle will lure prey with its
worm like tongue while blending in with the floor of the lake.
The sections on the shell are called “scutes”. The ribs fuse to
the top of the turtles’ shell stiffening it. The “plastron” is
the bottom of the shell, while the “carapace” is the top.
Geckos
Geckos are reptiles, and like all other reptiles, they are
cold-blooded. They have a rough, bumpy scale texture and most
have toe pads with microscopic hooks to climb better. A gecko is
a type of lizard. Some have movable eyelids and elliptical pupils
like a cat because they are nocturnal. They will shed often,
about four times a month. The gecko will hide when shedding and
eat the skin they have shed when finished.
Many people enjoy having geckos as pets. Leopard geckos are very
easy to handle, (I personally have two). All you need is a large,
10-gallon tank to start your gecko habitat. They like sand, and will
sometimes eat it. If you see a gecko eating sand, don’t worry, because
it is healthy. Geckos need a private place to themselves, so a
hiding place such as a couple of rocks works just fine. Geckos in the
wild live in warm places such as Texas. So, if you have a gecko, to
keep their body temperatures up, geckos need a heat source in the
habitat. They like water too. A gecko’s diet is insects, so that
makes them insectivores. Crickets, locusts, and grasshoppers
provide excellent food from the
environment.
Snakes, crocodilians, turtles, and geckos are just some of the many
reptiles herpetologists study. There are hundreds more that
herpetologists enjoy researching in the field. Even though
herpetology isn’t a well known area of study, it will continue to grow
as a science that people will enjoy as a profession or hobby.
Top of page