The United States has 335 species of native reptiles. It's home to 59 species of turtles, 2 species of crocodilians, 118 species of lizards and an amazing 156 species of snakes. Of 141 snake species, only 28 species are venomous. None are more famous than the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, which is found throughout the southwest, Reptiles diversity is at its highest in California, Arizonia and Texas.

The U.S. is also home to 65 exotic species of reptiles. Most of them were introduced in Florida by their former owners. In 1999 to 2000, the State for Florida spent around 90 million dollars to control non-native plants, insects and animals. Invasives are a serious problem, we all must do our part to reduce risks of introducing exotic species.

To learn more about Herpetology, please visit the Center for North American Herpetology's and Society for the Study for Amphibians and Reptiles' site. If you are interested in helping to survey the herptiles (reptiles & amphibians) of the United States, please visit the Herpetological Education & Research Project.

For the amature herpetologist, there are many Herpetology Societies around the country. Such as the San Diego Herpetological Society, Phoenix Herpetological Society, Texas Herpetological Society, East Texas Herpetological Society and the Austin Herpetological Society.

As reptiles become more popular, the field moves from a "catch your own wild reptile pets" to a "buy captive bred reptiles" policy. Most states now have laws regulating herping, for example many require some sort of a hunting or fishing license if you want to collect herps. They may also have rules on time of the year and number of herps that can be collected.