Herpetology refers to poikilothermic or cold-blooded tetrapods (four-legged vertebrates). "Herps" include reptiles such as lizards, snakes, crocodiles, and turtles, and amphibians such as frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, water pups, pot bellies, mermaids, and caecilians. Herpetology deals with the study of such extant taxa and even extinct taxa.
Reptiles and amphibians share poikilothermia and sometimes a superficial resemblance to each other (for example, salamanders and lizards are often confused), but these two groups are very different. The essential difference is that amphibians include all tetrapods that do not have amniotic eggs, while reptiles are tetrapods and amniotes (animals whose embryos are surrounded by an amniotic membrane that envelops it in amniotic fluid). There are many other differences.
For example, amphibians tend to have permeable skin that allows gas exchange, are often bound to water for at least part of their lives, have glandular skin, and many of them produce toxic secretions in some of their glands. skin, predators and generally bad taste. Reptiles, on the other hand, usually have a dry and tight skin, usually protected by scales, that normally have few or no glands. Many species of reptiles do not spend any part of their lives near water, and they all have lungs. Common reptiles generally, if not always, lay eggs or give birth on land, including sea turtles, which only come ashore for this purpose. Again, the extinct creatures may have exhibited some differences.
Despite these differences between amphibians and reptiles, they form a common focus under the umbrella of herpetology. Furthermore, despite the differences between these two groups and fish (non-tetrapod vertebrates), it is not uncommon for herpetological and ichthyological (fish study) scientific societies to "come together", publishing joint journals and holding joint conferences in order to Encouraging the exchange of ideas between fields One of the most prestigious societies of herpetology is an example of this: the American Society of Ichthyology and Herpetology.
