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Certified Junior Herpetologist

  • 30 hours
  • 106 lessons
  • Open-book final exam
  • Certificate

The Certified Junior Herpetologist program is a self-paced online course for teens who are already curious about reptiles and amphibians and want to understand them the way scientists do.

Written for strong readers aged 13 and up, it covers what reptiles and amphibians are, how their bodies work, where they live, the dangers they face, and how to watch them safely and respectfully in the wild. Outdoor activities are designed to be done with a parent or another trusted adult, whom the course calls the student’s “adult partner.”

Students who finish the lessons, complete the fieldwork with their adult partner, and pass the open-book final exam with a score of 85% earn the Certified Junior Herpetologist certificate.

Good to know before you enroll

  • It is yours to keep. Buy the course once and you have access for as long as the course exists, including future revisions.

  • No deadlines. There is no cohort and no expiry. Work at whatever pace your life allows.

  • Refunds. There is a 14-day refund window, provided you have not worked through more than about a fifth of the course. The details are in the Refund and Returns Policy.

  • Splitting the payment. A credit-based payment plan is available at checkout.

  • If cost is the obstacle. Tuition assistance is available. Ask us.

  • What the certificate means. Finishing the required coursework earns a Certified Junior Herpetologist certificate of completion. It documents completion of The Herpetology Collective’s educational program. It is not an academic degree, professional license, government credential, or permission to handle wildlife outside the laws that apply where you live.

Course content

  1. Start Here: Course Orientation

    1. Locked: Welcome to the Certified Junior Herpetologist Program
    2. Locked: How the Course Is Organized
    3. Locked: Course Materials & Progress Tracking
    4. Locked: Fieldwork: Safety, Ethics & the Law
    5. Locked: Help, Accessibility & Accommodations
    6. Locked: Completing the Course & Earning Your Certificate

  2. Unit I: Introduction to Reptiles & Amphibians

    1. Locked: R-1.01: A Note About Herpetology
    2. Locked: R-1.02: Turtles 101
    3. Locked: R-1.03: Lizards 101
    4. Locked: R-1.04: Snakes 101
    5. Locked: R-1.05: Crocodilians 101
    6. Locked: R-1.06: Frogs 101
    7. Locked: R-1.07: Salamanders 101
    8. Locked: R-1.08: Caecilians & Tuatara
    9. Locked: R-1.09: Snake Myths & FAQs
    10. Locked: R-1.10: Herps Save Lives!
    11. Locked: Unit I Practice Quiz

  3. Unit II: Living With Wildlife

    1. Locked: R-2.01: Living Around Snakes
    2. Locked: R-2.02: Snakebite Avoidance
    3. Locked: R-2.03: Snakebite Treatment
    4. Locked: R-2.04: Make Your Yard Friendlier for the Little Critters
    5. Locked: R-2.05: Relocating Reptiles
    6. Locked: R-2.06: Reptile Rescue & Removal
    7. Locked: R-2.07: Watch for Wildlife on the Road
    8. Locked: R-2.08: You're Getting Too Close! (Defensive Displays)
    9. Locked: R-2.09: Let Nature Take Its Course
    10. Locked: R-2.10: How Do Most Snakebites Happen?
    11. Locked: R-2.11: Do Snakes Actually Chase People?
    12. Locked: R-2.17: Backyard Lizards & Garden Snakes
    13. Locked: Unit II Practice Quiz

  4. Unit III: Classification & Diversity

    1. Locked: R-3.01: A Bit About Names
    2. Locked: R-3.02: Scientific Names
    3. Locked: R-3.03: Species and Orders
    4. Locked: R-3.04: Family Ties
    5. Locked: R-3.05: Differences & Similarities
    6. Locked: R-3.06: Miscellaneous Oddities
    7. Locked: R-3.07: Giants Among Us
    8. Locked: R-3.08: Life in Miniature
    9. Locked: Unit III Practice Quiz

  5. Unit IV: Biology, Physiology & Reproduction

    1. Locked: R-4.01: Thermoregulation
    2. Locked: R-4.02: Tail Autotomy
    3. Locked: R-4.03: Ecdysis (Shedding)
    4. Locked: R-4.04: Sexual Dimorphism
    5. Locked: R-4.05: Hemipenes
    6. Locked: R-4.06: Fangs
    7. Locked: R-4.07: Rear-fanged Snakes
    8. Locked: R-4.08: Venom
    9. Locked: R-4.09: Venomous vs. Poisonous
    10. Locked: R-4.10: Scales & Scutes
    11. Locked: R-4.11: Amniotes & Anamniotes
    12. Locked: R-4.12: Frog Life Cycle
    13. Locked: R-4.13: Salamander Life Cycle
    14. Locked: R-4.14: Amplexus
    15. Locked: R-4.15: Hatching & Birthing
    16. Locked: R-4.16: Parthenogenesis
    17. Locked: R-4.17: Sex Determination
    18. Locked: R-4.18: Snake Locomotion
    19. Locked: R-4.19: Forked Tongues
    20. Locked: R-4.20: Snakes and Swallowing
    21. Locked: R-4.21: "Sticky" Feet
    22. Locked: R-4.22: Hibernation & Aestivation
    23. Locked: R-4.23: Tortoise Pee!
    24. Locked: Unit IV Practice Quiz

  6. Unit V: Natural History

    1. Locked: R-5.01: A Complex Web
    2. Locked: R-5.02: Where Do Herps Live?
    3. Locked: R-5.03: When Are Herps Active?
    4. Locked: R-5.04: Adapting to Suburbia
    5. Locked: R-5.05: Hidden in Plain Sight
    6. Locked: R-5.06: Nonnative Species
    7. Locked: Unit V Practice Quiz

  7. Unit VI: Reptile & Amphibian Conservation Concerns

    1. Locked: R-6.01: Herp Conservation
    2. Locked: R-6.02: Habitat Loss
    3. Locked: R-6.03: Commercial Collection
    4. Locked: R-6.04: Amphibian Diseases
    5. Locked: R-6.05: Snake Fungal Disease (SFD)
    6. Locked: R-6.06: Systematic Eradication
    7. Locked: R-6.07: Preservation Efforts
    8. Locked: R-6.08: Habitat Management
    9. Locked: R-6.09: Assurance Colonies
    10. Locked: R-6.11: Citizen Science
    11. Locked: R-6.12: Innovative Solutions
    12. Locked: R-6.13: Excluders and Underpasses
    13. Locked: R-6.14: Special Places
    14. Locked: R-6.15: Knowing is Not Enough
    15. Locked: Unit VI Practice Quiz

  8. Unit VII: Reptile & Amphibian Observation: Ethics & Techniques

    1. Locked: R-7.01: Ethical Conduct in the Field
    2. Locked: R-7.02: Field Guides
    3. Locked: R-7.03: Location, Location, Location!
    4. Locked: R-7.04: Keep Locations a Secret
    5. Locked: R-7.05: How NOT to Identify a Venomous Snake
    6. Locked: R-7.06: Know Your Neighbors
    7. Locked: R-7.07: Learning to Identify Herps
    8. Locked: R-7.08: Take Nothing but Photos
    9. Locked: R-7.09: Field Herping: Tips & Tricks
    10. Locked: R-7.10: Field Herping: Tools
    11. Locked: R-7.11: Decontamination Protocols
    12. Locked: R-7.12: What is That Thing?
    13. Locked: R-7.13: The Law and You
    14. Locked: R-7.14: Make It Count!
    15. Locked: R-7.16: Observation Records
    16. Locked: R-7.17: Irresponsible Handling of Venomous Snakes
    17. Locked: Field-herping Gear Rundown (Optional Video)
    18. Locked: Unit VII Practice Quiz

  9. Unit VIII: Scientific Methods

    1. Locked: R-8.01: Becoming a Herpetologist
    2. Locked: How to Think Like a Scientist
    3. Locked: Unit VIII Practice Quiz

  10. Unit IX: Helping Out

    1. Locked: R-9.03: What Can You Do?
    2. Locked: R-9.06: Wildlife Rehabilitation
    3. Locked: R-9.08: Community Outreach
    4. Locked: Unit IX Practice Quiz

  11. Fieldwork & Applied Learning

    1. Locked: F-1.01: Set Up iNaturalist With Your Adult Partner
    2. Locked: F-1.02: Upload 15 Reptile or Amphibian Observations
    3. Locked: F-2.01: Wildlife Journaling
    4. Locked: F-2.02: Practice Recording Field Observations
    5. Locked: F-3.01: Five Upland (Drier-Habitat) Observations
    6. Locked: F-3.02: Five Lowland (Wetter-Habitat) Observations
    7. Locked: F-4.01: Make a Local Species List for One Group
    8. Locked: F-5.01: Find the Species in Trouble Where You Live
    9. Locked: F-5.02: Research One Species in Trouble
    10. Locked: F-6.01: Find Out Who to Call
    11. Locked: F-7.01: Find Places to Watch Wildlife
    12. Locked: F-7.02: Look Up the Rules for Two Sites
    13. Locked: F-8.01: Look Up the Wildlife Laws Where You Live
    14. Locked: F-9.01: Find Local Conservation & Nature Groups
    15. Locked: F-9.02: Volunteer Three Hours (Optional)

  12. Final Exam & Course Completion

    1. Locked: Certified Junior Herpetologist Final Exam

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