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And, who wants to become a herpetologist?- 16-Jul-2015
Are you that rare and special species of Homo sapiens that likes to think out of the box and look beyond the ordinary? Who goes by the gut feeling rather than following the flock? Are you also the one who respects his or her own interests instead of acting as per the diktat of others? Like rock-climbing and risk-taking? And, love to study the life and behaviour of the reptiles? Heres advice on how to go about choosing an extraordinary career in herpetology!
Herpetology is the scientific study of amphibians, turtles, reptiles and crocodilians, a fascinating field of endeavour, and is generally known as a specialisation or sub-field of Biology. A herpetologist is a type of wildlife Biologist who spends time in offices and labs, and much more outdoors in the field, possibly in remote areas and in all types of weather and living conditions. In addition to working directly with reptiles and amphibians or performing research, herpetologists may also find employment as specialised writers and photographers. As herpetologists are extremely rare, it is easier to get employed in specialised fields.
Study: One way of specialising in Herpetology is first earning a Bachelors degree in Biology or a related field and then complete courses in Herpetology or enter a Masters or PhD programme in Biology that offers a thesis concentration in Herpetology. A Bachelors degree is required for most entry-level jobs, but there are more career options for those with a Masters or PhD.
Career opportunities: As a herpetologist, you can take up a faculty position at a college or university. After completing a doctoral programme with a specialisation in Herpetology and having a couple of research papers to your credit, you can choose to be an assistant professor or lecturer. You can otherwise take up a staff position with government wildlife agencies. Duties range from determination of endangered and threatened species status to research about critical habitat to law enforcement to public relations. Or, you can become a curator at a museum. This often involves the same academic training as a university faculty position, and sometimes is a joint appointment with a nearby college or university. The duties of a museum curator or staff member are much more varied, ranging from herpetological research to exhibit preparation to public lectures to fund-raising to editing or writing books and articles.
Where to start? Basic and diploma courses in Herpetology are available online. Bangor University in the UK also offers a BSc (Hons) course in Zoology with Herpetology. The East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania also offers a course in Tropical Ecosystems and Tropical Herpetology.
Pay: A herpetologist draws decent salary, according to the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Professors who hold a PhD typically earn between $30,000 and $80,000 a year, depending on their experience. The median salary is around $63,000. Without a PhD the salary range is between $17,000 and $35,000.
