Herpetology facts for kids
Herpetology is a cool part of zoology, which is the study of animals. It's all about learning about two main groups of animals: reptiles and amphibians. These animals are often called "cold-blooded" because their body temperature changes with their surroundings.
Think of animals like frogs, toads, salamanders, snakes, lizards, turtles, and even crocodiles! They are all part of what herpetologists study.
The word "herp" is a short, common way to talk about reptiles and amphibians. It comes from an older term, "herpetile." A famous scientist named Carl Linnaeus grouped these animals together a long time ago, and the name stuck! Today, we use "herpetology" for the scientific study of these creatures and "herpetoculture" for taking care of and breeding them. There are more than 6,700 different kinds of amphibians and over 9,000 types of reptiles in the world!
What is Batrachology?
Batrachology is a special part of herpetology that focuses only on amphibians. So, if someone is a batrachologist, they are experts in frogs, toads, salamanders, and newts. Sometimes, people who really love amphibians and keep them as pets might also use this term.
Images for kids
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Blue poison dart frog
