Expert Perspectives into the World of Amphibians & Reptiles:
The Master Herpetologist Program is an online course offered both as an in-person class in Atlanta at the Amphibian Foundation, taught by regional experts on the herpetofauna of the Southeastern United States —and as a 100% online program, instructed by over 30 herpetologists from around the world. The programs offers expert instruction and certification as a Master Herpetologist.
Online Course:
This intensive class provides an introduction to herpetology and equips participants with amphibian and reptile identification skills and general knowledge of frogs, salamanders, turtles, lizards, crocodilians, tuatara, and snakes — their life histories, habitat requirements and biodiversity.
Course contents:
Course content includes classification and identification of amphibians and reptiles, ‘herping’ equipment, frog calls, attracting amphibians/reptiles and backyard wildlife habitat, anatomy and physiology, ecology, behavior, breeding migration, and conservation. This course is a deep dive into the world of amphibians and reptiles, intended to create a foundation of herpetological knowledge upon which students can build.The course fee includes lectures, handouts, exam, and certificate.
Schedule:
The schedule below is a guide for the class, as well as the days of the optional office hours. A given chapter (eg. Frogs) will be made available on the date listed below and will remain available for the duration of the course. Students have 2 weeks to absorb the material, before the next topic is introduced, but can go at their own pace and refer back to earlier topics throughout the course. The Final Exam will be made available after the (optional) Office Hours on Nov 24, which will serve as a review session for the final.
- Aug 18 – Section 1: Introduction
- Sep 01 – Section 2: Caecilians
- Sep 15 – Section 3: Salamanders
- Sep 29 – Section 4: Frogs
- Oct 13 – Section 5: Lizards + Tuatara
- Oct 27 – Section 6: Snakes
- Nov 10 – Section 7: Turtles + Crocodilians
- Nov 24 – Section 8: Final Exam
The Master Herpetologist Program Online is $300 for the 8 session program. It includes ~50 lectures, all handouts, a certificate, and final exam.