Asian Herpetologist is an international, open-access, peer-reviewed journal committed to accelerating scientific discovery and conservation across the full breadth of Asia’s reptile and amphibian diversity.
We publish work that pushes boundaries, unifies disciplines, and deepens the world’s understanding of the continent’s herpetofauna — from rainforests to deserts, from archipelagos to alpine zones, from megacities to remote ecosystems rarely seen by science. The journal exists to elevate Asian herpetology into a continental research enterprise: integrative, data-rich, collaborative, and driven by a new generation of scientists who understand that biodiversity knowledge is a form of strategic power.
Scope
Asian Herpetologist welcomes manuscripts covering all aspects of Asian herpetology, including but not limited to:
Systematics, Taxonomy & Nomenclature
• Species descriptions and revisions
• Integrative taxonomy (morphology, molecular data, bioacoustics, behavior)
• Type designations and nomenclatural clarifications
• Keys, diagnoses, and species complexes
Evolution, Phylogenetics & Comparative Herpetology
• Molecular and genomic phylogenies
• Trait evolution and adaptive radiation
• Divergence dating and phylogeography
• Evo-devo perspectives on reptile and amphibian lineages
Morphology & Anatomy
• Comparative anatomy, micro-CT, ultrastructure
• Developmental morphology, skeletal evolution
• Functional morphology and performance ecology
Biogeography & Landscape Dynamics
• Historical and contemporary dispersal
• Island biogeography, montane endemism
• Connectivity, barriers, refugia, climate-driven shifts
Ecology, Natural History & Behavior
• Habitat use, diet, activity patterns, life-history strategies
• Reproductive biology and developmental ecology
• Community interactions, predator–prey dynamics
• Acoustic behavior, social behavior, and communication
Population Biology & Demography
• Population structure, density, viability, and long-term monitoring
• Metapopulation dynamics and fragmentation
Applied Herpetology & Conservation
• Threat assessments, Red List evaluations
• Wildlife crime, trade, and trafficking impacts
• Conservation genetics, rescue biology, reintroductions
• Habitat restoration, environmental policy, protected-area planning
• Human–wildlife conflict mitigation, snakebite ecology
• Climate-change vulnerability and adaptation strategies
Disease, Health & Physiology
• Emerging pathogens (Bd, Bsal, ranavirus)
• Eco-physiology, thermal biology, stress ecology
• Parasites, microbiomes, and health surveillance
Herpetoculture, Captive Management & Husbandry
• Captive breeding programs
• Head-starting and rewilding
• Welfare, enrichment, and ex-situ conservation tools
Methodological Advances & Technologies
• Field survey protocols, eDNA, acoustic monitoring
• Spatial modeling, AI/ML applications, databasing
• Museum science, digitization, archival research
Historical, Cultural & Anthropological Dimensions
• Ethnoherpetology, indigenous knowledge
• Historical records, literature reviews, archival discoveries
Geographic Scope
The journal covers the entire Asian continent and its associated island systems — all 49 Asian countries — including West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Indo-Pacific transition zones. Research from adjacent biogeographic regions (Wallacea, Oceania, East African coastal sphere, Russian Far East) is accepted when relevant to the evolutionary history or distribution of Asian taxa.