Reptiles and amphibians include snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, and salamanders. You'll learn how they live, why they matter, and how to observe them safely. It's a chance to see these often-misunderstood animals in a new light.
Why it's worth it
Snakes, turtles, frogs, and salamanders have been around since before the dinosaurs, yet many are now disappearing faster than any other animals. This badge turns you into someone who can identify the species near home, tell a harmless snake from a dangerous one, and explain why a garter snake in the garden is good news. You'll learn to find frogs by their calls on a spring night and how scientists track amphibian health. It's a great fit if you love animals people often misunderstand.
Start this week
- Look up a field guide or state wildlife list and find three reptiles and three amphibians that live near you.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of a Reptile and Amphibian Study counselor, and send them a short message with a parent copied to set up a first meeting.
- Listen to recordings of frog and toad calls from your region and try to memorize two of them.
- Decide with your family whether you'll care for a reptile or amphibian or visit one every week at a zoo, nature center, or classroom for requirement 8.
Plan ahead: Most reptiles and amphibians are easiest to find in warm months, and many frogs call in spring. Plan the fieldwork in requirement 9 for that season, start the care or weekly visits in requirement 8 early since they take one to three months, and do the reading-based requirements in winter.
Stay safe
- Never touch or handle wild snakes. Learn to recognize the venomous species in your area from a distance.
- Wash your hands after touching any reptile or amphibian or its tank, since they can carry salmonella.
- Explore wetlands and ponds with an adult, and stay on firm ground away from deep water.
Requirements · 10
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).
Note: Venomous reptiles may not be used for 8a, and Scouts must follow collecting laws, get the land manager's permission, and never collect protected species.
- Requirement 1
Describe how to identify six reptile species and four amphibian species found in the U.S. Sketch from your own observation or photograph four of them, showing key markings, colors, or features. Talk about where all 10 live and how they behave
Tip: Choose species found near you if you can, and use a field guide to describe each one.
For example: Choose species you might meet locally, such as an eastern box turtle, garter snake, fence lizard, rat snake, snapping turtle, and five-lined skink, plus a bullfrog, spring peeper, American toad, and red-backed salamander. Describe each one's look, habitat, and food.
- Requirement 2
Discuss with your counselor roughly how many reptile and amphibian species live in the U.S. and where they're found, and make a list of the most common species in your area or state
Tip: Look up roughly how many reptile and amphibian species live in the U.S., then list the most common ones in your state.
- Requirement 3
Telling groups apart
Tips for this section: Make a side-by-side list for each pair, like frogs and toads or alligators and crocodiles, and note what sets them apart.
Example for this section: Compare frogs and toads: frogs have smooth, moist skin and long legs for jumping; toads have dry, bumpy skin and shorter legs for hopping. Then do the same for amphibians and reptiles, alligators and crocodiles, and snakes and lizards.
- Requirement 3a
Describe the main differences between amphibians and reptiles
- Requirement 3b
Describe the main differences between alligators and crocodiles
- Requirement 3c
Describe the main differences between toads and frogs
- Requirement 3d
Describe the main differences between snakes and lizards
- Requirement 4
Explain why reptiles and amphibians matter in nature. List four species protected by federal or your state's law and why, plus three reptiles and three amphibians near you that aren't protected, and discuss what all 10 eat
Tip: Find out what role they play in nature and which ones are protected in your state.
- Requirement 5
Compare how reptiles and amphibians reproduce
Tip: Make a simple chart comparing how reptiles and amphibians lay eggs and grow.
- Requirement 6
Based on watching them, describe how snakes move forward and what their muscles, ribs, and belly plates do
Tip: Watch videos of snakes moving and describe the different ways they travel.
For example: Describe four ways snakes move: serpentine (side-to-side waves), concertina (bunching and stretching in tight spaces), rectilinear (straight crawling like a caterpillar), and sidewinding on loose sand. Sketch each.
- Requirement 7
Describe in detail the six venomous snakes and one venomous lizard found in the U.S., including their habits and range, and tell what to do if bitten by a venomous species
Tip: Learn to recognize venomous species from a distance. Never touch or handle wild snakes.
- Requirement 8
Care for or observe an animal. Choose 1 of 2
Tips for this section: Care for a reptile or amphibian at home in a way your counselor approves, or visit one every week at a zoo, nature center, or classroom.
Example for this section: If you choose 8b, visit the same turtle or snake at a nature center or classroom each week for three months. Keep a notebook: the date, what it was doing, any shedding or color changes, and a sketch of it in its enclosure. Ask the staff about its diet, range, and care.
- Requirement 8a
In a counselor-approved way, care for a reptile or amphibian for 1+ month, logging food taken, how it eats, color changes, shedding, and habits; or keep reptile eggs until they hatch, or amphibian eggs until they become tadpoles (frogs) or larvae (salamanders). Report your care (light, habitat, heat, humidity, vet needs). Unless it's yours long-term, pass it on to a counselor-approved keeper
- Requirement 8b
Observe or foster a reptile or amphibian at a zoo, aquarium, nature center, rescue, or classroom weekly for three months, sketching it in its enclosure and noting changes in color, shedding, habits, and behavior. Discuss its care (housing, lighting, heat, humidity, vet) and learn its diet, native range, climate, life span, predators, human threats, and legal protections; share with your counselor
- Requirement 9
Identification and sharing. Choose 2 of 3
Tips for this section: Pick activities you enjoy, like identifying frog calls at night or giving a short talk to your troop.
- Requirement 9a
At night, identify three kinds of frogs or toads by their calls, imitate each call for your counselor, and use a flashlight to find each one and see how and where it calls
- Requirement 9b
Identify eight species of reptiles or amphibians by sight
- Requirement 9c
Give a short talk with visual aids to a small group about three different reptiles and amphibians
- Requirement 10
Share five myths or mistaken ideas about reptiles and amphibians and explain the truth behind each. Give seven examples of unusual behaviors or other true facts about them
Tip: Write down common myths you've heard and research the truth behind them.
For example: Correct myths like "toads give you warts" (they don't), "snakes are slimy" (their scales are dry), and "all snakes are dangerous" (most in the U.S. are harmless). Then explain how snakes control mice and frogs eat insects.
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A zoo or nature center reptile house
Keepers can show you live snakes, lizards, turtles, and frogs, and explain how they care for them.
How: A leader can call the education department and ask about youth programs or a keeper talk for your patrol.
A pond or wetland on a spring evening
Frogs and toads call loudest in spring, and you can practice identifying them by sound.
How: Go with an adult and your patrol to a public park or refuge with a pond. Some nature centers lead guided frog-call walks.
Where it can lead
- HerpetologistStudies reptiles and amphibians in the field or at museums; usually needs a biology degree.
- ZookeeperCares for animals, including reptiles, and teaches visitors about them.
- Wildlife biologistTracks animal populations and protects habitat for state and federal agencies.
- Veterinary technicianSome specialize in exotic pets like reptiles and amphibians.
Ask yourself
- How did you feel about snakes or frogs before this badge, and how do you feel now?
- Which species surprised you the most, and what did you learn about it?
- What was it like to sit quietly and watch an animal in its home?
- How do things like pollution, roads, or pets released into the wild affect these animals near you?
- What could you do to help reptiles and amphibians where you live?
Good questions to ask a herpetologist, zookeeper, or nature center educator
- Which reptiles and amphibians around here are in the most trouble, and why?
- How do you tell a venomous snake from a harmless one in the field?
- What's the best way to find salamanders without harming their habitat?
- What should someone know before keeping a reptile or amphibian as a pet?
- How did you get started working with these animals?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Plan a nature center visit or evening frog-call walk.
- Remind scouts to observe wild reptiles from a distance and never handle unknown snakes.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- Nature center or zoo — See reptiles and amphibians up close.
- State wildlife agency — Info on local species and protected animals.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (opens in a new tab) — Info on endangered species.
- AmphibiaWeb (opens in a new tab) — A university database with photos and facts about thousands of amphibian species.
- USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative (opens in a new tab) — How government scientists track the health of frogs and salamanders.
- Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (opens in a new tab) — A national group working to protect reptiles and amphibians and their habitats.
- Smithsonian's National Zoo Animals (opens in a new tab) — Facts about reptiles, amphibians, and other animals at the national zoo.
Pairs well with
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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.