Hello folks, VMNH Administrator of Science Ben Williams here!

January 4, 2021

Hello folks, VMNH Administrator of Science Ben Williams here! Winter is here, and that means there aren't quite as many critters roaming about for me to photograph and share each day. However, that doesn't mean the nature posts are going to stop! This month, we're going to do something a little bit different. Get ready for HERP MONTH!

Each week in January, we're going to look at the five rarest herps in Virginia! We'll start at noon today with a daily countdown of the five rarest lizards in Virginia. Next week, we'll look at the five rarest frogs and toads, followed by the five rarest salamanders, and we'll close out the month with the five rarest snakes.

These are not species I've photographed myself; instead, I'll be sharing photos from the website of the Virginia Herpetological Society (https://www.virginiaherpetologicalsociety.com), which has graciously agreed to let us use their photos to highlight some of the coolest and rarest reptiles and amphibians that the commonwealth has to offer. A big thank you to Jason Gibson of the Virginia Herpetological Society for his help and insight assembling these top five lists!

Check back at noon to see the first entry on our countdown of Virginia's rarest lizards, and I sincerely hope you enjoy Herp Month!

Your pal,
Ben Williams