Herpetology is the field of zoology that deals with the study of amphibians and reptiles including snakes, lizards, frogs, toads and salamanders. It comes from the Greek word ‘Herpeton’ meaning organisms which creep and crawl on their bellies.  

Amphibians are different from reptiles. They do not have scales and their skin is usually moist with mucus, which keeps them from drying up.

A person who studies and researches on reptiles and amphibians is called a herpetologist.