Get Ready! IHS turns 50 this year
By Cindy Steinle · July 23, 2026 9:08 am
The International Herpetoligcal Symposium turns 50 this year and kingsnake.com will be there to help them celebrate as a returning sponsor to kick off our 30th year! We all are celebrating.
This year is going to be located in a true herpers heaven, The Chiricahua Desert Museum in Rodeo, NM. If you have never been to an IHS event, let me tell you that you are missing out. IHS is more than just talks, altho they are a big part of it and I have been honored to be a speaker twice! IHS is a gathering of people from all areas of our community. It is more than what we see at the expos. When you go ro IHS you get everyone, you get the legendary herpetologists that you read books by, the breeders who started the field, the zoo keepers who are doing amazing work and also the actual scientist mingling with the deli cuppers and the kids who are just getting their start. From their site
The first Symposium of Captive Propagation and Husbandry of Reptiles and Amphibians was held in June 1976. That inaugural meeting at Hood College in Frederick, MD, eventually evolved into what we know today as the International Herpetological Symposium (IHS).
Each year, the IHS is held in a different location and hosted by a zoological, herpetological, or herpetocultural institution. Its purpose is two-fold:
To provide an annual symposium for the dissemination of information and research pertaining to the natural history, conservation biology, captive management, and propagation of amphibians and reptiles
To build a community open to all individuals who are interested in reptiles and amphibians, and provide a platform that fosters the exchange of ideas and information
Individuals from all areas of herpetology and herpetoculture are involved in the planning of each event, and all are invited to attend.
This IHS has no formal field trips planned but located where it is, I assure you nightly field herping will occur. The last time I was down at the Chiricahua Desert Museum, I caught a Mojave rattlesnake with Mark O' Shea so I know the herping is good. It was right about the same time of the year that IHS is being held too! Registration is open and the only thing sold out at this point is the closing night banquet. I looked at the talks and I already picked out at least 10 I want to see (someone seriously record the Grace Olive Wiley talk for me!).
Check out the schedule here and lodging here and sign up and get your registration in here! And for the love of pete, someone tell Frank Retes that PHFaust is looking for him!
