Ethnoherpetology is the study of the past and present interrelationships between human cultures and reptiles and amphibians. It is a sub-field of ethnozoology

Ethnozoology

Ethnozoology is the study of the past and present interrelationships between human cultures and the animals in their environment. It includes classification and naming of zoological forms, cultural knowedge and use of wild and domestic animals...

, which in turn is a sub-field of ethnobiology

Ethnobiology

]Ethnobiology is the scientific study of dynamic relationships between peoples, biota, and environments, from the distant past to the immediate present....

. Snakes and amphibians have been considered chthonic

Chthonic

Chthonic designates, or pertains to, deities or spirits of the underworld, especially in relation to Greek religion. The Greek word khthon is one of several for "earth"; it typically refers to the interior of the soil, rather than the living surface of the land or the land as territory...

 creatures in many cultures. Richly represented in mythology, culture, art, and literature, they often evoke revulsion, fear, suspicion and awe, sometimes even hysteria. Frogs and toads were believed to announce the rains with their choruses.

See also

• Herpetology
  Herpetology
  Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles...
  
  
• Serpent symbolism
  Serpent (symbolism)
  Serpent in Latin means: Rory Collins :&, in turn, from the Biblical Hebrew word of: "saraf" with root letters of: which refers to something burning-as, the pain of poisonous snake's bite was likened to internal burning.This word is commonly used in a specifically mythic or religious context,...
  
  
• Salamander (legendary creature) in popular culture
  Salamander (legendary creature) in popular culture
  References to the legendary salamander in popular culture—in fiction , games, animation, and so on—can be categorized in three ways: as a fantastic beast with an affinity with fire, as a true fire elemental, and allusions to the salamander's fiery nature.-Fantastic beasts:Books*In Estates and...
  
  
• Frogs in popular culture
  Frogs in popular culture
  Frogs feature prominently in folklore and fairy tales in many cultures, such as the story of The Frog Prince, up to modern-day popular culture. Pop culture tends to portray frogs and toads as benign, but ugly, and often clumsy, but also with hidden talents. David P...
  
  
• Toad licking
  Psychoactive toad
  Psychoactive toad is a name used for toads from which psychoactive substances from the family of bufotoxins can be derived. The skin and poison of Bufo alvarius contain 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin. Other species contain only bufotenin. 5-MeO-DMT and bufotenin both belong to the family of...
  
  
• Naga (mythology)