Welcome to the wonderfully weird and winning world of  ​amphibians and reptiles that make their home in Maryland!

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Collectively called herps (from ​herpetology , the study of amphibians and reptiles), these animals were once labeled “cold-blooded” unlike birds and mammals that were “warm-blooded”. Today biologists know that herps use environmental temperatures to regulate their body temperatures in a process called  ectothermy  and the term “cold-blooded” is inaccurate. ​Though they share ectothermy, amphibians and reptiles are more different than they are alike. Broadly speaking, amphibians have soft skin easily penetrated by water; they lay their eggs in water or damp places to keep them moist. Reptiles have dry, scaly skin impervious to water; their eggs have a shell that holds moisture for the developing young. Amphibian groups in Maryland are salamanders, newts, frogs and toads. Maryland reptiles groups include turtles, snakes and lizards.

If you've found a herp and aren't sure what group it belongs to, click on the silhouette below to link to the field guide for that group.