The International Herpetological Symposium was established in 1976, and it is the birthplace of organized herpetoculture. It is where zoo professionals and private hobbyists both come to learn, teach and share the knowledge and experience they have gained while working with reptiles and amphibians.
Before the IHS was formed, few reptiles were being bred in zoos, and details about the zoo breedings that did occur were relegated to obscure journals not readily available to nonzoo personnel. Private husbandry and reproduction accomplishments were simply lost or never recorded, and many were secrets closely guarded by reptile breeders.
This was a time before reptile magazines or the Internet, and there were no organized reptile shows. A few herpetological societies existed, but by today’s standard, reptile communication was in the Stone Age. A vehicle to help disseminate reptile information was needed.
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