The first thing to think about is "what is a herpetologist?" To be honest, they are typically a biologist of some type who uses reptiles and amphibians as their medium to answer biological questions. Biology is very broad and there are many subfields within biology. Further, it is very difficult to define any biologist into a single subfield. I could be referred to as a biologist, a herpetologist, a physiologist, a biomechanist, a morphologist, an ecophysiologist, a functional morphologist, an environmental physiologist and many more. The point I'm trying to make is that when you are preparing yourself to become a "herpetologist" you need to realize that you will need to keep an open mind and become a biologist before you can focus on reptiles and amphibians. At that point, you can decide whether you want to study cellular/molecular biology, ecology, evolution, conservation, physiology, animal behavior, systematics, etc. You can study reptiles and amphibians using any of these major subfields of biology but typically you need to focus on a subfield to conduct your research in.
As far as jobs available as a "herpetologist," it really depends. The obvious track is the academia track where you get a Ph.D. and go on to a tenure-track position at a major research university teaching and conducting research. You could also end up simply teaching at either the college or some other level and the degree required to do that will vary. You also can work for the government (Fish and Wildlife, etc.), an NGO (conservation groups, etc.) or for industry (company environmental scientist, etc.). Again, the degree needed for this positions will vary but it is very competitive and a Master's is often the bear minimum.
The education required is daunting. If you plan on going into academia at a research institution, you can expect a 15+ year track after you graduate highschool. Undergrad is about 4 years, Ph.D. is about 6 and then you usually end up doing 2 or 3 PostDocs (1-3 years each) of varying lengths before you actually get a tenure track position. Keep in mind that it seems less and less common to graduate from a lot of undergrad programs in 4 years, many people get their master's (about 3 years) between their BS and Ph.D. and MS and Ph.D projects can take a lot longer then planned, especially if you do field work. Its a big commitment and can take a long time.
Another thing to keep in mind is that research is not always fun and glamorous. Biologists don't always just get to go into the field and watch/play with reptiles and amphibians. The vast majority of my year is spent teaching or in the lab behind a computer analyzing data, writing grant & research proposals and writing papers. Obviously this will vary depending on the type of research you are doing and where you are located relative to where you conduct your research but its not all fun and games. What you see on Animal Planet is definitely not what herpetologists typically do.
As far as recommendations go, definitely take as many science and math classes as you can and study hard. Once you get into college you'll most likely major in Biology or maybe Zoology (there really isn't a herpetology major at most schools). Biology majors are often designed around the pre-meds so you'll have to seek out other biology courses to take so that you can build up your experience and knowledge. Be sure to get involved in research as an undergrad as well (this is really key if you plan on going to grad school). Finally, keep an open mind. If you really want to do herpetology, thats great, but you never know when something will come along and change your mind or what class that you hate or didn't think you would ever use will end up being critical in your research. I personally only took a single semester of physics and really didn't think too much of it. Now physics plays a big role in a lot of my research.
I hope I've not scared you but rather prepared you so that down the road when you start encountering these things you realize that its normal and not to get too worked up over them. It can be a very difficult and long road. While it isn't always fun, if its something you enjoy, its extremely rewarding and worth every effort you put into it.
Good luck!
Can you major in chameleon? ..... I mean, if you're not Chris Anderson?
Haha, I wish they taught chameleon classes!
Chris
