Aims and Scope
Aims
Applied Herpetology is an international journal addressing research on amphibians and
reptiles in relation to humans and therefore focussing on natural
products development, farming, ethnobiology, biodiversity and environmental
monitoring, conservation and wildlife management. A main objective of the journal is to enhance
communication between academic scientists and researchers in industry, governmental bodies,
international agencies and others involved in applied research involving herpetofauna. The
target audience includes:
- herpetologists
- agricultural scientists
- veterinarians
- pharmaceutical researchers
- toxinologists
- ecotoxicologists
- environmental scientists and managers
- ethnobiologists
- forensic scientists
- educationists
- biologists advising planners and policy makers
Applied Herpetology is covered by:
- Abstracts on Hygiene and Communicable Diseases
- Biological Abstracts
- BIOSIS Previews
- Forestry Abstracts
- Index Veterinarius
- Irrigation & Drainage Abstracts
- Journal Citation Reports (indexed from 2008, to be included from the 2010 version of JCR).
- Nutrition Abstracts and Reviews
- Soils & Fertilizers
- Veterinary Bulletin
- Weed Abstracts
- Zoological Record
Scope
Initially proposed at the 3rd World Congress of Herpetology (Prague, August 1997), applied
herpetology was formally defined at a workshop of the 4th World Congress (Sri Lanka, December
2001) as those studies in herpetology that concern human interests (uses of amphibians and
reptiles), or result from human
interference. Such studies are increasingly
important, since it is likely that in future little research funding will be available
for herpetological work that is not applied. Among the subjects so far identified as applied
herpetology and covered by the journal Applied Herpetology are:
Natural products development
Amphibians and reptiles as a source of bioactive
material - antibiotics, analgesics, diuretics and anticoagulants; toxinology (snake and lizard
venoms) and pharmacology (amphibian skin secretions).
Farming
Captive breeding and husbandry techniques to maintain stocks for teaching,
exhibition, experimental purposes, food and other commodities (reptile leather industry;
tortoiseshell), as well as for the restocking of wild populations; pathology and disease.
Ethnobiology
Scientific (rather than purely cultural) aspects; comparative study of
the uses of amphibians and reptiles by human societies; epidemiology of snake bite; attitudes
and behaviour of humans towards amphibians and reptiles, in the wild and in captivity.
Environmental monitoring and ecotoxicology
Amphibian teratological studies to monitor environmental
health via incidence of abnormalities in populations; bioaccumulation of heavy metals and other
pollutants such as pesticides in tissues of amphibians and reptiles, and species' use in turn
as bioindicators of habitat contamination; residue loads as biomarkers of contaminant levels entering
food chains; endocrine disruption from pollution.
Conservation and wildlife management
Species protection and autecology; biodiversity
assessment; use of species richness
and assemblages as bioindicators of habitat quality and change; habitat management;
establishment of faunal reserves; reintroduction and relocation, including genetic and
veterinary aspects; invasions; extinction; sustainable utilization of economic species;
management of pest species; biological control.
Legal and ethical aspects
Welfare; conservation; international trade; introduced
species; forensic investigations; use in education and research; humane treatment.