The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR) is an international

herpetological society Herpetological society is a commonly used term for a club or organized group of reptile and amphibian enthusiasts. The term is derived from herpetology, the branch of zoology dealing with the study of those organisms. Herpetological societies are ...

. It is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

supporting education, conservation, and research related to

reptiles Reptiles, as commonly defined, are a group of tetrapods with an ectothermic metabolism and Amniotic egg, amniotic development. Living traditional reptiles comprise four Order (biology), orders: Testudines, Crocodilia, Squamata, and Rhynchocepha ...

and

amphibians Amphibians are ectothermic, anamniote, anamniotic, tetrapod, four-limbed vertebrate animals that constitute the class (biology), class Amphibia. In its broadest sense, it is a paraphyletic group encompassing all Tetrapod, tetrapods, but excl ...

. Regular publications include the ''Journal of Herpetology'' and ''Herpetological Review''. It is the largest international herpetological society, and is recognized worldwide for having the most diverse program of publications, meetings, and other activities. The SSAR Conservation Committee brings conservation issues that affect reptiles and amphibians to the attention of

state State most commonly refers to: * State (polity), a centralized political organization that regulates law and society within a territory **Sovereign state, a sovereign polity in international law, commonly referred to as a country **Nation state, a ...

and federal

government agencies A government agency or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government (bureaucracy) that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, ...

non-government organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

s, and

herpetologist Herpetology (from Ancient Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is a branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, salamanders, and caecilians (Gymnophiona)) and reptiles (in ...

s worldwide. The committee serves as a liaison between the SSAR and public and private groups to provide expert advice, factual knowledge, and educational information about problems confronting amphibians and reptiles, including

habitat protection Habitat conservation is a management practice that seeks to conserve, protect and restore habitats and prevent species extinction, fragmentation or reduction in range. It is a priority of many groups that cannot be easily characterized in term ...

endangered An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching, inv ...

threatened A threatened species is any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which is vulnerable to extinction in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensatio ...

, and special concern species, commercial and private use, contaminants, and priorities for conservation-oriented research. The committee coordinates SSAR responses to proposed national and international legislation and other conservation matters involving reptiles and amphibians. Official responses are submitted for approval by the President and Secretary before public release. Chair submits annual report to Secretary prior to the annual meeting of the Board. The SSAR also supports numerous grants programs, international exchanges and international cooperative efforts for study and publications.

History

The society was founded as a regional organization, The Ohio Herpetological Society (OHS), by two young but serious-minded amateurs, Kraig Adler and David M. Dennis, then 16 and 17 years of age respectively. They decided in the fall of 1957 to formalize interactions amongst a small group of amateur herpetologists throughout Ohio and began publishing a combined journal and newsletter (called the ''Trimonthly Report'') in January 1958. The name of the society was changed to The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles on January 1, 1967.

Publications

The SSAR publishes a number of books and series including: * ''Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles'' * ''Contributions to Herpetology'' * ''Facsimile Reprints in Herpetology'' * ''Herpetological Circulars'' * ''Herpetological Conservation'' * ''Herpetological Review'' * ''Journal of Herpetology''

Endowments

The SSAR has established several endowments including the Bobby Witcher Society. The society was co-founded by Dean E. (Doc) Metter, a member of the biology faculty at the

University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...

. The society now funds the SSAR's Dean E. Metter Memorial Award for outstanding herpetology students seeking further education for a career in vertebrate biology.

References

External links

Official Society Homepage

online open access version of the ''Catalogue of American Amphibians and Reptiles''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Herpetology organizations Reptile conservation organizations Natural Science Collections Alliance members