Help: Colleges that offer Herpetology.

I am in high school and currently looking for a college that offers herpetology for a major and can't find any. I live in Wisconsin. Can anyone help me? Is it a real degree or do I have to settle for a wildlife biology degree? Please help, I have been doing my own research but I keep coming up blank.

Offhand, there aren't any schools that offer a herpetology degree. And I wouldn't say you'd be "settling" for a degree with wildlife biology!

The thing with degrees is if your degree isn't general enough, you're going to have a hard time finding a job. There are VERY few herpetology jobs out there.

I didnt word that right, I just would like to deal with herps more than furry animals. Is that what degree you have? Do you work with herps alot?

I don´t know how it works there, but here you have to study Biology, and after you graduate you can specialize in herpetology. I´m currently studying biology, and looking forward to specializing.

I believe you're right. You can't get a undergraduate degree in herpetology.

Exactly,
There isn't a bachelor's degree in herpetology, but you can specialize (master's) in it. Your best bet is to find a school with wildlife biology or ecology/evolutionary biology. I'm an EEB major at the University of Connecticut. I chose this school because it has many herpetologists on its faculty (I think 3 or 4) with many research opportunities in herpetology, as well as having a herpetology class taught by Kentwood Wells and numerous study abroad opportunities. Do the research and talk to the faculty. I talked to Professor Wells before I applied and he helped to convince me to go here.

Best of Luck,
Alex

I've got a degree in Fisheries and Wildlife management, but I work a fair bit with herps. My main duty right now is surveying for the endangered Cheat Mountain salamander.

That being said, my degree (and my work history) is diverse enough that I can find jobs working with other things. To date, I've worked on Emerald Ash Borer, ticks, black spruce trees, global warming, aspen tree regeneration, coarse woody debris distribution, West Virginia northern flying squirrels, snails, etc.

I don't know if it's the same with everyone, but I don't especially like working with herps. When you WORK with herps, and then you come home to herps, being home and taking care of your own colony seems too much like work, and less like fun.

Kaysie said:

I don't know if it's the same with everyone, but I don't especially like working with herps. When you WORK with herps, and then you come home to herps, being home and taking care of your own colony seems too much like work, and less like fun.

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Kaysie, I think that was stated very well, and I agree completely. That is exactly why I decided not to pursue a career involving herps.

You may try The University of Texas at El Paso. It has a good herpetology section at the graduate level.

sounds cool.

I have decided to be a wildlife biologist. I looked in to being a zoo keeper but they only make $13,000-$30,000. Wildlife biologists make $30,000-$75,000!

Hahaha! Yeah, maybe after 35 years in the service you'd make $75,000. I don't even make $30K, and I've been a GS-0404 (that's a Biology Science Tech) for 2 years. I'm now at a pay grade of 05. And keep in mind that most biology positions are temporary and seasonal, so you'll be LUCKY to work 6 months out of the year, if you can find a job for that season. Most permanent, year round jobs start at a GS pay grade 07 (you qualify for that with 3-4 years of experience in that specialized area, or a Masters/Ph.D.).

And there's NEVER a job where you want there to be a job, so you end up travelling all over the US (I've been to West Virginia, Wisconsin, Northern Michigan, Utah, and Canada) working. That means no permanent house, no critters (you can't move them all over the place, can you? Better find a good herp sitter that doesn't mind watching them for 6 months out of the year), new faces, new places. It's not glamorous. Everything I have with me is what I can fit in my car. It's rewarding, it's interesting, it's fun seeing new places, and I wouldn't trade my job for anything, but it's HARD. Mentally, physically, and emotionally. It's hard not having a 'home'.

To be a Wildlife Biologist, you'll probably need a Master's degree. I've worked BST jobs for 2 years now, and I still don't qualify for most Wildlife Biologist positions. $30-75K might be how much an average biologist makes (one that's been in the service for 10, 20 years), but it's not how much every biologist makes, and not how much you will make starting out. And trust me, $30K is NOT as much as it sounds. Really.

I told you once, and I'll tell you again: if you're looking to get rich, you're in the wrong field.

Don't pick a job based on how much money you're going to make. Choose it based on how happy you are going to be. If you hate your job, it doesn't matter if you make $175,000; You'll be miserable.

You could be some type of teacher. Not necessarily a elementary school or middle school. You could be a High school biology teacher or you could try being a college professor, but I think you might need a Phd to be a college professor. I think a herpetologist might be "general" enough to get you some other jobs. We met a marine biologist at a reptile park in St. Augustine and I believe the Biology depatment chair at Towson University in Baltimore is a herpetologist, but it is still a very specialized job and requires alot of hard work.

Biologist = poor.
Finding jobs with a biology degree is hell on earth....All the decent jobs are for biochemistry...

Or Forestry. There are lots of forestry jobs.

There has been a lot of good information posted here, and I don't have much to add. I would suggest you look for a school where you can major in biology, wildlife biology and conservation, evolution and ecology, natural resources, or similar majors.

As an undergraduate, try to get as much experience in different aspects of biology as possible. Talk to your professors. Work on a few different types of research projects to see which ones are most interesting to you. Think about the big questions that need to be answered the apply to all organisms, not just herps. There are many different summer programs that undergrads can do to get research experience. Just a few examples:

http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.cfm?unitid=5047

http://www.nmnh.si.edu/rtp/

Some additional good advice can be found here:

http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/careers.php

And here are some examples of possible jobs (This is not in any way an exhaustive list of herp-related job opportunities in the US):

http://www.ssarherps.org/pages/careers.php

http://ssarherps.org/smf/index.php?PHPSESSID=22a334d3f64cc921448fb312d41a257b&board=5.0

Good luck!

Mike

Yeah forestry jobs are good as Kaysie said. My dad got a job as a park ranger 30 years ago making less than $20,000 a year loved his job, being able to be outdoors all the time and now he manages the park he is working in and making $100,000 a year but it took him 30 years of HARD work and difficult decisions to make to get there. I know I would definately consider a job as one of the enviornmental park rangers. It is a FUN job but difficult to get. I think it's a much better choice to go with a job you really like rather than one that pays alot. I think that would make life a little more exciting.

I'm currently going as a marine bio major, but have considered wildlife biology or ecology. One things for sure, it doesn't matter so much the degree you get as the experience you get as an undergrad etc.

For example, one guy I know who was a marine biologist, did I believe his master's thesis on mako sharks and tuna(studying how they are warm blooded) and recently did some surveying involving desert tortoises!

Kaysie, thats an interesting way to look at it. I haven't thought to much about herpetology as I always assumed it was not very practical, since hardly any wild herps are commercially important.

Hi AJ. I have a herpetologist as a mate here in Australia. I have recently finished my husbandry course in reptiles with him. Maybe if you have a look on the computer for some herpetologists listed over there, they might be able to help you with some more information on what your asking. The herpetologist I know makes money out of doing reptile shows around the country, and also runs courses, teaching people about breeding reptiles, handling of venemous snakes etc. He is fully booked most of the year, and makes a good income from doing this. Cheers Carol.