Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

Reptilemania

Herpetology is the study of reptiles and amphibians, a career path filled with new discoveries. At the San Diego Zoo, a herpetologist has at least a bachelor’s degree, in some cases a master’s degree. This high level of education is reflective of the amount of knowledge necessary to successfully care for and conserve this amazingly different group of animals. Todd Schmidt, senior keeper, was our passionate guide. About this world of scales, he firmly stated, “If I had to leave these creatures, I would quit.”

I was surprised when he announced that frogs were indicator species. Like all amphibians, frogs are extremely sensitive to climatic changes. With the outbreak of chytrid fungi due to global warming, frog populations in Central America are being decimated. Reptiles and amphibians are also closely tied with the environment. In fact, their sexes are determined by minute temperature changes: one degree lower during incubation could mean a female pops out from an egg, while one degree higher means a male. Thus, with recent global warming problems, numerous species of reptiles are facing endangerment and even extinction. However, humans can alleviate this problem with a little effort; each individual can make a difference. By driving less and carpooling, buying locally made and grown products, and using less stuff in general, you can reduce the carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere, thereby reducing the greenhouse effect. Now that’s a real-world connection to the helping wildlife!

On a different note, but something that was definitely of great interest to all of the interns, the herpetologists at the San Diego Zoo work with venomous snakes. Therefore, having the antivenins on site is mandatory. Many bites can lead to a nasty death. Stacked neatly in a refrigerator with labels and instructions, herpetologists have quick and easy access to them in case of an emergency. Shockingly, these antivenins are the most expensive parts of herpetology. They can cost up to thousands of dollars for just one bottle and because the effectiveness of these chemicals can decrease over time, they must be replaced every few years. Many of the antivenins are specific to one or two snakes, making it so the herp team has to have many antivenins on hand. This may be alleviated as one Mexican company is trying to synthesize one polyvalent that can counteract a broad spectrum of venoms.

Herpetology is also an international affair. Studies of reptile species often occur between herpetologists of different parts of the world—China, India, Africa, New Zealand, and Fiji. State, national, and international permits are often required for projects. In fact, the San Diego Zoo is currently home to a breeding colony of Fijian banded iguanas, which came with the permission and consent of the Fijian government. It is surprising to think that the international reputation of the U.S. could have an impact on such apolitical issues like conservation, but it turns out that it can. When the relationship between governments is strained, researchers and conservation organizations may be refused permission to study or import animals.

Haoyu and Claire - Real World Team

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