Reptile & Amphibian Practice Study & Reading Guide

Certification in Reptile and Amphibian Practice

Successful practice of reptile and amphibian medicine and surgery requires broad knowledge of subject areas including natural history, husbandry, anatomy, physiology, pathology, infectious disease biology, epidemiology, and pharmacology. Practitioners must apply this knowledge to species in the Orders Anura, Urodela, Gymnophiona, Chelonia, Rhynchocephalia, Squamata, and Crocodylia. Little of this reptile and amphibian-specific background information is taught in general veterinary medical curricula and new contributions are found in an array of periodicals.

The following list is provided to help guide veterinarians planning to study for the ABVP Reptile and Amphibian Examination. It is not a comprehensive listing of all available material, but rather a guide to facilitate finding information in areas where the candidate does not have extensive experience. Examination questions will be taken from the extant literature and will not be confined to questions only from the work on the list. Not all chapters in listed textbooks are necessarily of significance for the examination. Examination questions based upon journal articles will emphasize current literature of the last five years, although older references may also be included. It is recommended that candidates work with their mentor to prioritize study material within the references suggested.

Essential Monographs

Jacobson ER. 2007. Infectious diseases and pathology of reptiles: Color atlas and text. CRC Press. 716 pages

Mader DR (ed). 2006. Reptile medicine and surgery. 2nd ed. Saunders Elsevier, St. Louis, MO.
1242 pages

Wright KM, Whitaker BR. 2001. Amphibian medicine and captive husbandry. Kreiger Publishing Company, Malabar, Florida. 570 pages

Essential Periodicals

American Journal of Veterinary Research

Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery (formerly Bulletin of ARAV)

Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association

Journal of Wildlife Diseases

Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine

Additional Study

Supplemental Monographs

Campbell T, Ellis C. 2006. Avian and Exotic Animal Hematology and Cytology. 3rd ed. Blackwell Publishing Professional.

Fowler ME (ed). 2008. Zoo and Wild Animal Medicine, 6th ed. WB Saunders Co. Philadelphia, PA.

Girling SJ, Raiti P (eds). 2004. BSAVA Manual of Reptiles. 2nd ed. British Small Animal Veterinary Association, Quedgeley, Gloucester, England.

McArthur S, Wilkinson R, Meyer J. 2004. Medicine and Surgery of Turtles and Tortoises.Iowa State Press, Ames, IA.

Supplemental Periodicals

Chelonian Conservation & Biology

Comparative Medicine

Copeia

Journal of Exotic Pet Medicine

Journal of Herpetology

Journal of Parasitology

Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science

Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation

Journal of Veterinary Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Veterinary Clinical Pathology

Veterinary Clinics of North America: Exotic Animal Practice

Veterinary Microbiology

Veterinary Pathology

Veterinary Record

Questions on the examination may be taken from sources other than this list.