Herpetological Society
Meets: Third Thursday, 12:00 p.m., posted in DroverNet · Adviser: Ardis Vennemann, Professor, Herpetological Sciences · Organized 1999
The Herpetological Society is open to all students. Programming includes species talks, conservation topics, and supervised observation hours in the Reptile House. Members may not house personal animals in the Reptile House; the prohibition is restated at the first meeting of each term.
History
- Organized in 1999, the year the Reptile House opened.
- The Society’s field list of amphibians observed on the Perimeter Course has been kept continuously since 2003 and records 19 species.
Officers, 2026–27
Officer lists are filed with the September recognition renewal; the roster below is as filed with the Office of the Dean of Students.
- Miriam Yoder-Blas — President
- Herpetological Handling and Behavioral Conditioning. Keeps the Perimeter Course field list. Species 19 was added in 2024 and the list has been stable since.
- Grant Pomeroy — Secretary
- Sciurid and Small Mammal Nuisance Control. Restates the personal-animal prohibition at the first meeting of each term, a duty assigned to the secretary by the bylaws.
Events
- Reptile House observation hours — posted each term.
- Spring vernal pool walk — the Perimeter Course, March.
Perimeter Course field list — annual observations
The field list has been kept continuously since 2003. Species are added on confirmed observation; no species has been removed.
| Year | Species observed | List total |
|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | 14 | 18 |
| 2023–24 | 15 | 19 |
| 2024–25 | 13 | 19 |
| 2025–26 | 16 | 19 |
Field notes, 2025–26
| Date | Note as recorded |
|---|---|
| Apr. 4 | The vernal pool walk recorded 11 species in one morning, a single-walk record. The previous record, 10, was set in 2011 and is retained in the list’s notes. |
Field notes, prior years
| Date | Note as recorded |
|---|---|
| Mar. 29, 2025 | A report of species 20 was received and not confirmed. The report remains open. The list total is unchanged. |
| Apr. 22, 2024 | Species 19, four-toed salamander, confirmed at the vernal pool by three members and photographed. The location within the course is recorded in the file and is not published. |
| May 6, 2023 | An eastern box turtle was assisted across Corliss Pike in the direction it was traveling, per practice. |
Recognition of a student organization is granted under the terms stated at Student Organizations and does not constitute College endorsement of the organization’s views or activities. Current officer contacts are maintained in DroverNet.
Page last revised 7 August 2026 · student-life/organizations/herpetological-society · Office of the Dean of Students