The Herpetological Conservation Trust (HCT) is a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 wildlife charity

Charitable organization

A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...

 for the conservation of herpetofauna: amphibian

Amphibian

Amphibians , are a class of vertebrate animals including animals such as toads, frogs, caecilians, and salamanders. They are characterized as non-amniote ectothermic tetrapods...

s and reptile

Reptile

Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...

s. It was founded in 1989 by Vincent Weir and Ian Swingland

Ian Swingland

Professor Ian Swingland founded DICE at the University of Kent in 1989. While at DICE he served as director and was elected to the first Chair in Conservation Biology in the United Kingdom....

 of DICE

Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology

The Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology is a subdivision and research institute of the Department of Anthropology at the University of Kent, started in 1989 and named in honour of the famous British naturalist Gerald Durrell...

 and launched at the First World Congress of Herpetology in Canterbury that year. In July 2009, HCT merged with Froglife

Froglife

Froglife is a British wildlife charity committed to the conservation of amphibians and reptiles and their associated habitats. The charity aims to encourage as many people as possible, from all walks of life, to get involved in wildlife conservation and habitat protection.-Conservation...

 to form Amphibian and Reptile Conservation

Amphibian and Reptile Conservation

Amphibian and Reptile Conservation is a British wildlife charity formed in July 2009 from two similar organisations Froglife and the Herpetological Conservation Trust...

, a new voice for conserving frogs, toads, newts, snakes and lizards.