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Reptile History

Where reptiles come from and how humans have kept, feared, revered, and studied them — deep-time evolution and paleontology through the rise of modern herpetology and herpetoculture.

The discipline

Reptile history traces where these animals come from and how our relationship with them has evolved. This discipline covers deep-time origins and paleontology, the evolutionary lineages that produced today's lizards, snakes, turtles, tuatara, and crocodilians, the development of taxonomy and scientific herpetology, and the long cultural history in which reptiles have been feared, revered, mythologized, and misunderstood. It follows the rise of modern herpetoculture — the keepers, breeders, institutions, and discoveries that built the field — and the milestones that shaped today's standards of care. The goal is to give keepers the context behind the practice: knowing where the knowledge came from makes everyone a more grounded, more responsible steward of it.

What you'll learn

  • 01Deep-time origins and paleontology
  • 02The evolutionary lineages behind today's reptiles
  • 03The development of taxonomy and scientific herpetology
  • 04Reptiles in culture — feared, revered, mythologized
  • 05The rise of modern herpetoculture
  • 06The keepers, breeders and institutions who built the field
  • 07The milestones that set today's standards of care

Master classes in this discipline

All master classes →
Education & Media

Reptile History Master Class

Tom Crutchfield · Kevin McCurley · Ty Park · George Van Horn & more

How the modern hobby was actually built — the keepers, breakthroughs, failures, and pioneers who forged a path where none existed. The lineage, on the record.

IN PROGRESS

Where it leads

Every discipline feeds the certification path — formal, earned credentials produced with the faculty and always bought separately, never bundled into a membership. Certification courses begin releasing in Q4 2026.