For some people, narrowing their identification down to “snake” or “frog” is as specific as they are interested in being. Hopefully, you set a much higher bar for yourself. There are more than 21,000 described species of reptiles and amphibians in the world, so you’re not likely to learn them all. The best approach is probably to start with your area and work outward on an as-needed basis. Learning the venomous animals near you would be a great first step and then focus on other commonly seen critters. An excellent method for this is to have your field guide with you and just to get outdoors.
This lesson is part of Certified Herpetological Guide. Enrollment is self-paced, with no deadline to finish (about 50 hours).
