This course was built to be finishable by people whose lives don’t cooperate. What follows is how it already works for everyone — not a list of favors available on request. If you need something beyond it, that conversation is easy and you don’t have to justify it.
On this page: why this is here · what’s already true · display and reading tools · devices, printing, and slow connections · cost · if you need something else · getting in touch
Why this is here
Reptiles and amphibians are often treated as underdogs, and in my experience a lot of the people drawn to them have been treated that way too. I’m one of them.
When I wrote the Primer, I kept each bulletin short, used the plainest language I could manage, and made every lesson modular so it could be read in whatever order interested the reader at that moment. At the time I thought I was doing that for other people. The surprise came after the book was published, when I received several neurodiversity diagnoses. It had not occurred to me that I was writing for people like me.
So inclusivity is woven through everything here rather than bolted on at the end. The goal is for herpetological information to be as easy to learn as possible for as many people as possible, whatever they are working around. You belong here — not tolerated, welcome.
What’s already true
Pace and timing
No deadlines, no cohort, no expiry. Start when you want. Take two weeks or two years. Stop for six months and pick it back up — the course holds your place, so returning doesn’t mean starting over.
No part of the program requires you to be available at a particular time.
Reading it your way
Every lesson is a self-contained page. You can read one, put it down, and not have lost a thread — which matters if your reading happens in ten-minute pieces between other obligations. Reading, video, and fieldwork can be done in whatever sequence suits you. Only the exam comes last.
The exam
Open book. Unlimited retakes. No time limit. You can edit answers after submitting, or start fresh.
There is no penalty of any kind for a failed attempt, and no record of one that follows you.
The fieldwork
Field assignments are designed around the learning objective rather than one mandatory way of completing it. Some activities include published alternatives for barriers involving location, mobility, budget, season, safety, or access — those alternates are already in the modules, so you don’t have to ask for them.
If the alternative you need is not already shown, ask us for one. You do not need a diagnosis, documentation, or a detailed explanation of why the standard version does not work. An equivalent route is not a lesser version of the course.
Nothing in the fieldwork is strenuous. Nothing requires handling an animal. Our field safety and ethics guidance applies to every route.
Display and reading tools
Every page on this site carries an accessibility toolbar. Look for the round button labelled Accessibility widget in the bottom-right corner of your screen; opening it gives you:
- Font size, letter spacing, line height, and font weight
- A dyslexia-friendly typeface
- Text alignment
- Light and dark contrast, high contrast, saturation, and monochrome
- Highlighting for titles and for links
- Read aloud
- A reading guide
- Muted sounds and paused animations
- An enlarged cursor
The course itself also has its own dark mode toggle.
That toolbar is a convenience, not the foundation. The pages underneath it are meant to work with your own browser zoom, your own contrast and font settings, and your own screen reader — so if you would rather not use the widget, or it doesn’t appear for you, nothing here should become unavailable. If something does, tell us and we will get it to you another way.
Devices, printing, and slow connections
Off a screen: the lessons print. The Primer PDF is built to reproduce at full fidelity on ordinary printer paper — so if screens are a problem for your eyes, your attention, or your circumstances, a paper version costs you paper rather than a purchase. Download the Primer.
On less bandwidth: the Primer comes in high and low resolution. The low-resolution version is for slower connections, limited data, and phone reading. We keep page weights on the site down for the same reason.
On any device: every page and lesson is built to display properly at any screen size, including a phone in the field.
Cost
Money is a barrier like any other. The Primer has always been a free download and always will be — not being able to afford a textbook should not decide how much someone gets to understand about these animals.
For the courses: payment plans are available at checkout, and tuition assistance exists without documentation. If neither of those fits your situation, say so and we will work something out. Tuition assistance and payment options · Course tuition
Languages
The courses are in English. If English is not your first language and a passage isn’t landing, write and tell me which part — I would rather rewrite a confusing paragraph than leave it sitting there. If you would like to help translate any of this, I would be glad to hear from you.
Young learners
Recommended age for the Junior program is roughly teens and tweens, but that’s about reading level, not a rule. Younger students do fine with it, usually with an adult reading alongside.
If you’re unsure whether a particular kid is ready, ask — easier to tell you than to guess. There are substitute activities for assignments that assume more independence.
One thing that isn’t negotiable: for anyone under 18, a parent or guardian is responsible for safety during fieldwork. That’s inherent to distance learning, not a formality.
If you need something we haven’t listed
If a standard activity creates a barrier because of disability, neurodivergence, chronic illness, location, transportation, safety, technology, or another circumstance, we will find an alternative that preserves the learning objective.
You don’t need a diagnosis, a letter, or a category. “This part isn’t working for me” is a complete request. You don’t have to compose a formal case, and you only need to share what you’re comfortable sharing — the useful starting point is understanding the obstacle. We’ll find something that reaches the same objective a different way, which is what the alternates already do. The destination is fixed. The road isn’t.
Some things we can’t anticipate, and we can’t promise every requested change will be possible — but we will approach it in good faith and explain any genuine constraint. And if we can’t find something you’re comfortable with, our refund policy applies to you the same as anyone: withdraw and get your tuition back. Refunds
Getting in touch
Three ways, because the right one depends on the day and on you:
- Email: learnaboutcritters@gmail.com
- Text: 318-745-9393
- Facebook Messenger: m.me/herpcollective
- Or use the contact page
I read all messages personally. I also run a reptile sanctuary, which means you may have to be a little patient sometimes. If you haven’t heard back and it matters, send it again — that’s not rude, it’s helpful.
Where we fall short
We aim to meet WCAG 2.2 Level AA across herpcollective.org. That’s a target we work toward, not a certification we’ve earned. Some older content, and some third-party pieces such as checkout and embedded video, don’t meet it yet, and parts of that aren’t entirely in our hands. Accessibility tools like the toolbar above help, but they don’t substitute for accessible content and sound underlying structure, and we don’t treat them as if they do.
If you run into something that doesn’t work, please tell us. The address of the page and a sentence about what happened is plenty — you don’t need to diagnose it for us. We fix what we can as we find it, and reports are the fastest way we find things.
Last reviewed: August 28, 2026
We’re in it for the critters
The Herpetology Collective exists to promote Conservation Through Education, and that mission doesn’t depend on who you are. Making it easy for you to learn is our thing. If you can think of a way we could do it better, let us know.