Looking for job/education in Herpetology

I am going into college very soon, and I've been thinking that I would like to have a job working with herps. What classes would I have to take? What type of jobs are available for that?
~I am particularly looking for a job working with animals. I am very good with animals, and I think that would be more exciting and fun.

Try doing a search of the forum. I know this thread has popped up at least once.

Either way, you'll definitely need a masters degree before getting into any animal related field. Competition is TOUGH!

I have heard that most new zookeepers leave the profession within a couple of years. It doesn't pay well, and most of the work involves cleaning s**t, which isn't what most people have in mind when they decide to work with animals!

My advice is to take as much science as you can, and keep your options open for various kinds of jobs beyond just working directly with reptiles. As you learn more, you may find other interests, such as research, etc.

You dont have to take it as a life. You will get pretty satisfied with it being just a hobby. Work with some other random thing and let them be your hobby. Most people I know in the hobby work as either public functionary, post office workers, journalists and a wide variety of other non-science related jobs. You could have a science related job in biology, geology, chemistry or physics branches and still have your hobby. Like I said you shall not see it as a life just because you like it. I talk for most of us, I had the same idea yuo have now some years ago and that is what i got as an answer. And well it was the best answer I could have received... Now I am almost a true Chemist! And the knowledge you get will surely help in the hobby as Caudates and water/biological chemistry are co-related things... So its kind of a bonus of knowledge to use in the hobby Again, this is only an example.

I think if I had it to do all over again, I might be a vet.

I will certainly keep my eyes open!

~I am already taking advanced biology classes.

Is there other jobs where you get to work with the animals besides zookeepers? Believe me, I already know how bad being a zookeeper is. My uncle was in charge of cleaning the orangutan exhibits!

@eljorgo~I know what you mean. The reason why I am (possibly) trying a job in herpetology is because I am honestly not good at anything else!

@otterwoman~I could not take being a vet. I hear they have to put animals down and work with animals in horrible pain, etc. That would break my heart!

Entering college myself this coming fall, I'll say this:

College is a time in your adult life when it's OK to be indecisive. You should feel free to explore your opportunities. It seems to me that it would be more fun to keep newts as a hobby, though. Once you make it your career, it becomes work and may not be as enjoyable. Clearly though, there are those who enjoy what they do so much that they don't consider it work at all. Many members on the forum work in science-related fields, so there's a lot of valuable input floating around here.

You could go into any of the natural resources type jobs: forestry, wetland management, wildlife management, parks & rec, etc. This allows you to work partially with animals, but mostly with habitat, which is one of the most important components of animal conservation/preservation/management. And you get to spend your days playing in the woods. Well, not ALL your days. And then some of those days are rainy and cold. And then sometimes you don't find what you're looking for...

I agree with eljorgo, it's a much better hobby than it is profession. And I can vouch for what Jenni says, most of my zookeeper friends are actively looking for other jobs or have left the profession all together. And Nathan, he's wise far beyond his age.

You could become a biologist. You'd take the basic bio and science classes as an undergrad and after that you'll begin to pick your focus and may get a Master's and/or PhD in your chosen filed.

Meanwhile, at any good university there are plenty of opportunity for undergrads to get into research. You might chat up the professors in your school and offer your services as a field volunteer on their studies. That's how you can gather experience and build a resume at the same time. When I was an undergrad, I spent several months volunteering on a river turtle conservation project in Bolivia. Didn't earn a peso but gathered wonderful experiences.

Just be prepared to volunteer or work for little money at first. And as for shoveling S***, it ain't so bad I spent years shoveling horse s***, sleddog s***, muskox, caribou and reindeer s*** and always enjoyed it as a time to spend outside among the animals. In return I learned how to work with these animals. It was well worth it, even though I didn't make a penny.

I agree with all the others, work hard at your studies. I would love to have been a radiographer or a vet, unfortunately my slow old brain never withholds anything remotely useful . I would also look into voluntary work ...this could give you valuable experiences.
I still have no idea what I want to do when I grow up.

Is there any demand at all for people working in the biology field?

~ I honestly would like to keep Caudates as just a hobby, but I am not interested in anything else! Nor am I very talented at anything else.

I speak as someone who entered college full of hope and wanting to eat the world: college sucks.
I don´t know what Biology is like over there, but here it sucks you dry....you start out thinking you are going to learn everything there is to learn and all you get is biochemistry disguised under different forms. The amount of courses that are actually interesting for a more zoology oriented student are very, very scarce. Until last year the only courses where i actually had fun learning where courses involving botany (which i love, but nevertheless, i´m a zoology guy). So far, i´ve only had one course where i have trully enjoyed learning and listened in awe to the stream of information, just one!!!. Ok, fair is fair, i´m a terrible student, but still, the degree has done nothing in order to keep me interested or dedicated to it (let´s settle in 50% my fault, 50% the university´s).
I also agree that competition is strong and possibilities limited. Mind you, i also feel that i could be doing no other thing...if i´m not a biology student, i´m clueless.

Get into if it´s what you feel you ought to be doing, but don´t kid yourself, it´s not what it´s cracked up to be...not at all. Unless biochemistry is your thing, of course...then prepare yourself for the best years of your life

In all due defense, Psychopathic, you're like, 14. I didn't even settle on what I wanted to do (wildlife management) until I was 2 years into college. Take a lot of classes, a huge variety. I took one class (natural resources management) my second year of college, when I decided that's what I wanted to do. There's a TON of cool stuff out there.

Azhael - sorry to hear Biology wasn't much fun for you...but here's my $ 0.02:

you can't be an effective biologist (zoologist, botanist or other) if you don't have a solid grounding in ALL biological sciences: including basic biochemistry. Without such grounding, you'll never truly understand an animal's behavior, physiology or ecology.

I had the opposite experience: I, too, came to college just wanting to be a zoologist, but I soon realized that biology became even more fun after I had learned enough of that "boring" stuff to understand the forces that guide plant and animal behaviors and knit ecosystem together. Only then could I be an effective researcher. Without the proper basics, I was always partially in the dark.

So my advice to psychpathic, if you want to go into biology: don't be afraid of the chemistry, biochemistry and physiology: it is all highly relevant to the study of newts and any other critters. Embrace it! :happy:

so to summarize: you can't be a biologist without the basics in biochemistry. That's like wanting to be a pilot without getting a pilot license first

I completely agree, Molch! My problem is about biochemistry outnumbering by far the courses related to zoology or botany. It´s necessary to have a basis of all biological "departments", that´s very true. Precisely because of that, i find that there is too little of certain ones...

Azhael,

I think I've had a similar experience as you.

I went to School for biology wanting to go into botany, but went to a school that had only two botany courses! Which was stupid on my behalf. Anyway, i struggled through 4 years of biochemistry and micro-biology, but only found myself interested in the higher order classes like neuroscience, immunology, and developmental bio. Now I am a lab technician in a tissue engineering lab, and basically do cell biology every day . . . I am having a hard time feeling passionate about it, but it pays the bills. I think if I go back to graduate school I am going to research a program that really interests me first, because, while Molch is right about needing to know all that micro stuff, it's really hard to do stuff that you aren't passionate about. While I find all of biology from the nucleotide to the ecological niche fascinating, even mind blowing, I am really only passionate about things on the organism and above level of focus.

SO, Psycho, all this advice is good, but if you are kind of a slacker like me, then do yourself the biggest favor of you life and research which school you are going to and what classes it offers before you decide to go there, because most biology majors today are geared to micro biology and biotechnology. There are oodles of jobs in that industry, but it generally involves biology on a cellular/chemical level, or medical/clinical level. If that isn't something that interests you, then college will be more difficult than it has to be, and when you graduate, you won't be qualified for what you want to do.

Oh, and another huge piece of advice, do undergraduate research in your field of interest no matter what the cost. i turned down a summer of ecological survey internship because it was too far from home. I took an internship in a genetics lab instead. when I went applying for jobs, the only interviews I got were for micro bio labs. none of the ecology jobs even gave me a call. Also, a friend of mine didn't intern in any labs over the summer and was unable to find a bio job at all. having that work experience even if it's just during the summers can get you places once you graduate.

Ok, I am rambling, and probably sound like a know-it-all. I just felt like my own personal experience was relevant to this topic. Good luck in your future!

I am currently in college working on my Associate's of Arts degree in biology with the hopes of going on to get my Master's in Biology with an emphasis in Herpetology. It's extremely hard to find a University that actually has a degree in Herpetology. They are out there, but few and far between. Like the others have said, try to do volunteer work in your field. While in highschool, I spent 2 summers as a biology intern at the Neosho National Fish Hatchery. It wasn't exactly what I want to go into, but I developed important connections with both the USFWS and the Missouri Department of Conservation that will help me when I am looking for a job, and I got paid a little for the work I did, which did involve shoveling fish poop. Volunteer work always looks good on a resume. Go out and get your name into the system. Check out your state's department of natural resources website to see if there is any programs you can take part in. That's the best advice I have, I hope it helps.

Seems like we have quite a large number of natty science majors.

I sympathize with you, Azhael, and also agree with Patrick and Molch. School selection is quite important. Many biology majors are firing for jobs in medical, pharmeceutical, and biotech and actually have no real interest or fascination with actual animals or biology. I'm currently looking to get involved in a research lab on an undergraduate research project. Kind of wish I had started a bit earlier but I found it somewhat intimidating-but so long as you have your general biology knowledge you must start somewhere!

While in the middle of a class such as general chemistry or physics it is hard to see how it relates-once you take higher bio it starts to form a bigger picture.

Psycho: You're at a good age to start looking into different things and realizing who you are and what you enjoy. I would try to broaden your horizons...even if biology still remains your number one passion. I'm glad for the people who encouraged me to join several extracurricular activities and looking back there are a few other things that would have been a lot of fun also.

Thank you all for inspiring me!