Send your herpetology questions to our crack team of herpetologists, who either will answer directly or forward to other experts at the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, the Herpetologists’ League, and the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. We try to answer every query within 2 weeks.

The Herpetology Hotline volunteers are mostly researchers working at universities, museums, and government wildlife agencies.

If you have a question about how to take care of a reptile or amphibian, you are more likely to get good advice quickly if you post your question on a forum of keepers who are experienced with the particular type of animal you have. You can find a relevant forum by conducting an internet search with the words “forum” and the type of animal (e.g. “snake,” “ball python,” “frog,” “bearded dragon,” etc.) The SSAR does not endorse any particular forum. We have provided this information as an additional resource because most of our responders do not have a lot of experience keeping reptiles and amphibians as pets, and therefore do not have as much expertise in this area as many of the keepers on forums.

If your question relates to a medical issue, you will likely also want to contact a veterinarian. Not all veterinarians have experience with reptiles or amphibians, so we advise you to seek out an “exotic” animal vet and ask them if they have worked with many reptiles and amphibians in the past. If not, they may be able to refer you to someone who has.

If your question pertains to a topic other than husbandry or medical issues, go ahead and fill out the form below!