Herpetology

Herpetology is a branch of zoology (animal biology) that is concerned with the study of reptiles (such as snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, crocodiles, and alligators) and amphibians (such as frogs, newts, salamanders, and toads). People with an interest in herpetology or people who own reptiles or amphibians sometimes refer to themselves as "herpers."

Herpetologists
Herpetologists (zoologist who studies reptiles and amphibians) either have advanced academic degrees or are non-scientists who work with reptiles and amphibians on a daily basis and pursue herpetology as a hobby. Herpetologists are often actively involved in research of amphibians and reptiles. There are many types of research that can be done such as how the animal lives, how the animals are related, the structure of the animal, the behavior of the animal, and how the animals body functions. Most if not all of the findings are published in scientific journals.

Careers
Herpetologists can work in many fields. Unfortunately there are very few jobs that relate directly to herpetology. Some jobs are working in zoos, museum curator or scientist, and/or working at wildlife agencies. Major jobs that a herpetologist could get are a professor or researcher at a college. This job has a salary of about $30,000 to $80,000 depending on the experience of the professor or researcher. Another job is a museum curator, this job has a salary of about $30,000 to $80,000, also depending on the experience of the person. A zoo curator or supervisor is another job that a herpetologist could get. The salary for a zoo curator is $30,000 to $50,000 once again depending on the experience of the person. And the final major job a herpetologist could get would be a breeder. Some minor jobs are a photographer, a writer, a high school teacher, and a few others. 

Education
Unfortunately there is no college or university that offers a major in herpetology at the undergraduate or even the graduate level. But when it comes to education a college education with an emphasis on science is recommended. instead of majoring in herpetology a person should major in biological sciences. You should also study statistics, chemistry, writing, foreign language, computer science, and witting. Acceptance into graduate schools is very competitive so good grades and a well-balanced undergraduate education are very important if you are going to get accepted. It really doesn't matter if the college is big or small the important part is that they have a good academic record.