BBC - Wildlife Finder

Hurrah for Herps

Herps? To those of you who don't know this is a term used by scientists to describe reptiles and amphibians. Snakes, lizards and toads are not everyone's choice on the adorable animal list, but we want to show you that there's more to a herp than slimy skin and scary scales.

Over the following week we are going to expose you to the diversity and beauty of this group of animals through a selection of video clips from the BBC archive.

Enjoy some Herculean action from lightning locomotors to paragliding frogs and perhaps learn to love the herps of the world.

Amphibian characteristics

The first backboned animals to emerge on to land.
Lightning lizard

Slow worms are quite the opposite - neither worms, nor slow.
Master night hunters

Enormous eyes helped a prehistoric reptile hunt squid in the dark.
Eggless lizards

Chameleon babies are born live and ready to fend for themselves.
Frog discovery

Will an unidentified tree frog turn out to be a new species?
Helping hands

The newly hatched baby turtles make a mad dash for the ocean.
Floating lizard

Tiny, unsinkable pygmy geckos avoid drowning in water droplets.

Explore:

Video collections

Jonathan Scott: a wild life in Africa

Jonathan Scott's unique style brings an emotional warmth and depth to the portrayal of African wildlife that has created some of TV's best-loved animal characters.