PARC promotes the responsible enjoyment of the amphibians and reptiles we all appreciate and work to conserve. To address and encourage the discussion of ethical recreational herping, PARC created the Ethical Herping and Observation Standards (ETHOS) Task Team. To be a mindful herper, we encourage all PARC members to review and adhere to our Ethical Herping Tenets, and review our Gold Standards for Ethical Herping.
Why Ethical Herping Matters
Recreational herping, or the activity of searching for amphibians and reptiles, is an engaging way to learn about, admire, and interact with species that captivate and fascinate people around the world. As the recreational herping trend continues to grow, so do the opportunities to share and learn about new species through social media – making wild amphibians and reptiles more accessible than ever. Whereas most interactions with amphibians and reptiles usually are well-intentioned and stem from a place of curiosity and interest, the ever-increasing and broadening trends of herping can have negative impacts on herpetofauna, their habitats, and natural areas.
Our Tenets
1 – Respect Amphibians, Reptiles, and Their Habitat
2 – Follow the Law, Regulations and Permits
3 – Minimize the Spread of Diseases and Pathogens
4 – Minimize the Sharing of Locations
5 – Respect Others and the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Community
View our Tenets here [Coming Soon!]
Be an Gold Star Herper – Follow our Gold Standards
In some cases, encounters with amphibians and reptiles may be impactful to those species. In these cases, we have developed Gold Standards for Ethical Herping, and Strategies to Maximize Compatibility. This document addresses handling wild amphibians and reptiles, disinfection of field gear, photography, social media, and more. We encourage the recreational herping community to review and follow these Gold Standards, and for PARC members to help guide others in mindful herping.
View our Gold Standards here [Coming Soon!]
Ethical herping is an emerging conversation, and we encourage all recreational herpers to be mindful, minimize impacts to animals and habitat alike, and participate in responsible stewardship of all wild amphibians and reptiles.
Our Tenets Are Widely Supported
Many conservation partners support ethical recreational herping. You can help support this initiative too. This can be done by sharing PARC ETHOS resources, developing messaging to share with your partners, group members, and meeting attendees, and by having conversations with others. We invite all of our partners to join us in sharing and promoting mindful recreational herping.
Links and Helpful Literature [Check back for more updates!]
PARC National Disease Task Team
Collaborative to Combat the Illegal Trade in Turtles
Northeast PARC Disinfection and Decontamination Protocols