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 ...

. It is a

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

supporting education, conservation, and research related to

reptiles Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the Class (biology), class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsid, sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, Squamata, squamates (lizar ...

and

amphibians Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbore ...

. 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 may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Literature * ''State Magazine'', a monthly magazine published by the U.S. Department of State * ''The State'' (newspaper), a daily newspaper in Columbia, South Carolina, United States * ''Our S ...

and

federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

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

non-government organization A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...

s, and

herpetologist Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (gymnophiona)) and rept ...

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 and inva ...

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

, 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.Moriarty, John J., and Breck Bartholomew. 2007. ''Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles: A Fifty Year History 1958–2007.'' Herpetological Circulars 36. The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR). 60 pp. . 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''

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 Hobbyist organizations Reptile conservation organizations Natural Science Collections Alliance members