To promote the discovery and dissemenation
of knowledge of amphibians and reptilesThe Purposes of the Society Shall Be
To promote the discovery and dissemenation
of knowledge of amphibians and reptiles
To encourage specifically the study of
amphibians and reptiles in Texas;
To encourage conservation of wildlife in
general and of amphibians and reptiles in Texas in particular;
To stimulate fellowship among
herpetologists of Texas and the Southwest
-Article II, THS Constitution
In order to meet the purpose of the Society, as defined by Article II of the THS Constitution, the THS meets biannually - in the Spring for a Spring Field Meet, and in the Fall, for an Annual Symposium.
The Spring Field Meet is held annually in order to foster comaraderie among Texas herpetologists and to further the knowledge of the distributions of Texas Herpetofauna (3 of the last 4 Field Meets resulted in 30+ distributional and county records for Texas Herpetofauna). Past President Terry Hibbitts, who has missed only 3 Field Meets in the last 30 years, says that "the annual meetings are more than just collecting reptiles and amphibians in different parts of the state - they are like family reunions. I think that's what makes these meetings so special to me and why I enjoy them so much." Except for a few years during World War II, the Spring Field Meets have been held every year since the Society's inception in 1939.
The Fall Symposium focuses greatly on the purposes of encouraging the study of amphibians and reptiles in Texas and the discovery and dissemenation of knowledge of amphibians and reptiles. Each Fall Symposium fields a distinguished slate of speakers, who present research on a wide variety of topics regarding Texas Herpetofauna, from biochemisty, to ecology, to systematics.