What Is Herping

Herping is a hobby, it involves searching for and photographing wild reptiles and amphibians. The word "herping" is derived from "herpetology". Herpetology is the zoological term for the serious scientific study of reptiles and amphibians. Herping can take you to some of the most rugged places in the California Deserts or just outside of town. Just don't get bit! Lots of venemous snakes out at night.

Many herpers participate in a constructive fashion. Accumulating data for conservation purposes and amature photography are both positive aspects of herping. A few herpers obtain permits to legally collect herps for purposes of research or for personal enjoyment.

An issue of serious concern is those people who over-collect and those who collect to sell herps illegally. These people are engaging in activities that have given a herping bad name that it will never fully recover from. The majority of herpers I know do not fall into these categories.

Because of commercial over-collecting in the past, and current illegal collecting, many species in California and other places are disappearing fast. Some have already become very rare. In California almost all herps are protected to some degree, and many are completely protected from collection. In some cases even "pursuing" an animal to photograph it can get you into trouble. In most western states you need a fishing or hunting license to participate in herping, and you must follow the Fish and Game Departments guidelines.

Please remember that these creatures do not survive well in captivity. They have certain dietary and environmental needs that are difficult to provide for. No matter how cool you think it would be to have something like a horned lizard from Califonia as a pet, going and collecting hundreds of the right kind of ants every other day is not going to work out well. Like many other herps that lizard will only survive on a certain diet. My recomendation is to take lots of pictures, and leave the animal alone. If you wont do this, then at least do your research. Lots can be found on-line. FieldHerpForum.com is one place to start.