Herpin' A!!!

I know what you're thinking. Herping sounds dirty. It is! But not in that way. I think it comes from the Greek word for creepy. Not creepy like kiddie porn or the guy in class who molests you with his eyes. It refers to movement, the way certain animals creep along the ground, specifically reptiles and amphibians. Herpetology is the study of these animals, and herping is the act of going into the wilderness to look for them. So it is dirty. My brown capri leggings are stained with Costa Rican wetland mud from herping, hunting for spectacled caimans, to be precise. Yes, I went crocodile hunting in a neotropical wetland wearing a baby-doll dress and leggings, by the light of the full moon. That's how I roll.

Anywho, while in Costa Rica this past January, I learned a lot about herps. I was awesome in the field. Justin, our herp guy, would show us a species and we would have to use our books and key them out. I got each one right the first try! I was on fire!!! Then, we had a big test. It was the worst experience of my life: The first F I've ever received on a test...EVER!!! I'd like to say I don't know what happened, but that would be a lie. I didn't study. I didn't take notes. I didn't pay attention in class. I slept and drank coffee and daydreamed about who knows what. Justin was disappointed because he knew I could do better. I told him someday I would redeem myself, and that day has come.

This semester I'm taking Wildlife Biology. Mostly we've learned about birds... waterfowl, waterbirds (which I assure you are different from waterfowl!), birds of prey, upland game birds, perching birds... We also studied mammals, which was super fun because we got to play with skulls and skins. The day of the mammal test I found myself daydreaming and petting a red fox skin, then I snapped out of it and realized I was supposed to be doing something intelligent. I couldn't help it! It was so pretty. Then came what I had been looking forward to most: herps. We spent 4 days going over them and we learned about 65 species of turtles, snakes, lizards, salamanders, frogs, and toads. This past Monday we had the test, and I totally rocked it! 49 out of 50. I got the highest score in the class. Herpin' A, indeed.