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Online Course This intensive class provides an introduction to herpetology and equips participants with Southeastern amphibian and reptile identification skills and general knowledge of frogs, salamanders, turtles, lizards, crocodilians, and snakes — their life histories, habitat requirements and biodiversity. All taught by leaders in the field! Course content includes classification and identification of amphibians and reptiles, 'herping' equipment, frog calls, attracting amphibians/reptiles and backyard wildlife habitat, anatomy and physiology, ecology, behavior, breeding migration, and conservation. This course is a deep dive into the amphibians and reptiles of one of the most interesting and species-rich areas of the world — the Southeastern United States. The class goal is to create a foundation of herpetological knowledge upon which students can build. There is no overlap in course content between this class and the Master Herpetologist Program, which is designed as a college-level course in herpetology, with a global perspective, and defines all the major groups of reptiles and amphibians. If you are considering both courses, we would recommend taking the Master Herpetologist Program first, as it explains in detail concepts that are later used in the Southeastern class. It is not, however, a prerequisute. The course fee includes lectures, handouts, exam, and certificate. The class is intended for adults. Please contact us before registering someone under the age of 18. For younger learners, please see our Junior Master Herpetologist Program (ages 12-17)
The 100% online class is asynchronous — meaning there is no required time to meet, is designed for students to go at their own pace with the material, and from any time zone. The scope of the course is broad in order to highlight the biodiversity of the animals, the students, and the instructors. We will meet optionally every other Thursday from 6 - 7 pm (EST = UTC -5:00) as 'office hours' on the first day of a new section — if anyone has questions or would like to communicate directly with the instructor (not required). The course will work through any web browser on PC, Mac, and also on the Moodle app on phones/tablets: iPhone, and Android.
Course Schedule The schedule below is a guide for the class. A given section (eg. Frogs) will be made available on the first day of that section and will remain available for the duration of the course. Students have 2 weeks to absorb the material, before the next topic (section) is introduced, but can go at their own pace and refer back to earlier topics throughout the course.The Final Exam will be made available after the (optional) Office Hours at the beginning of the last section, which will serve as a review session for the final. The class lasts about 16 weeks, and requires an average of 2-3 hours a week to complete. Fall 2023
Section 1 (July 6): Introduction + State and Federal Stakeholders
Section 2 (July 20): Salamanders
Section 3 (Aug 3): Frogs
Section 4 (Aug 17): Lizards + Crocodilians
Section 5 (Aug 31): Snakes
Section 6 (Sept 14): Turtles
Section 7 (Sept 28): Topics in Southeastern Herpetology
Section 8 (Oct 12): Final Exam
The Southeastern Master Herpetologist Program Online is $300 for the 8 session program. It includes ~50 lectures, all handouts, a certificate, and final exam.
Registration is open for the Fall 2023 semester!
Register below.
Once registration is completed successfully through PayPal, you will be asked to read and sign the Code of Conduct form. Submitting that form will complete your registration. You will be emailed a copy of the signed form, and a receipt from PayPal. The instructor will reach out to students before class starts with login info, and questions can be directed to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Course Instructors
Affiliation and Twitter Handle
Andy Coleman, Urban Turtle Project & Talladega College | @AlabamaTurtles
Bones Glorioso, USGS
Bradley O'Hanlon, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Brittany Mason, University of Florida
Brooke Talley, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission | @Br00keT
Bruce Means, Coastal Plains Institute
Casey Perkins, Amphibian Foundation
Chris Jenkins, The Orianne Society | @OrianneSociety
Chris Murray, Southeastern Louisiana University | @crocchris11
Connor Pogue, Amphibian Foundation
Dirk Stevenson, Altamaha Environmental Consulting
Eric Soehren, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Ericha Nix, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
Grover Brown, Jacksonville State University | @GroverJBrown
Hardin Waddle, USGS
Harold Mitchell, US Fish & Wildlife Service | @alphamale1339
Houston Chandler, Virginia Tech & The Orianne Society | @TheSnakeDude
Hunter Howell, University of Miami
Jeff Hall, NC Wildlife Resources Commission
Jeff Beane, North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Jessica McGuire, Quail Forever | @JessicaLMcGuire
Jim Godwin, Auburn University
Jimmy Stiles, Auburn University
Joe Jenkins, Alabama Natural Heritage Program
Keri Lejeune, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
Kurt Buhlmann, UGA/SREL
Laura Kojima, Odum School of Ecology/Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, University of Georgia | @LauraKojima
Linda May, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Lora Smith, The Jones Center at Ichauway
Mark Mandica, Amphibian Foundation & Agnes Scott College | @markmandica
Matt Elliott, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Melissa Miller, University of Florida
Michael Kirkland, South Florida Water Management District
Michele Elmore, US Fish & Wildlife Service
Mike Martin, North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission
Parker Gibbons, Parker Teaches Science
Pierson Hill, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
Rebecca Means, Coastal Plains Institute
Roy King, Fort Stewart Army Base
Steve Reichling, Memphis Zoo
Susan Walls, USGS
Thomas Floyd, Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Todd Pierson, Kennesaw State University | @twpierson
Tristan Clark, Amphibian Foundation | @AmphibianNerd
Walter E. Meshaka, Jr., State Museum of Pennsylvania | @ToadWally
Whit Gibbons, UGA/SREL
Are you interested in being an instructor in the course or suggesting a topic?
If you are a herpetologist, agency professional, academic, graduate student or researcher working in the Southeastern US, and would like to be an instructor in the course, we would love to hear from you! Please use the link below to submit a topic proposal, and we will get back to you promptly.
