Herpetology is the study of reptiles and amphibians. They are often grouped together as “cold-blooded” animals and share similar characteristics, but they are actually separated into two distinct classes (Reptilia and Amphibia) of “herps”  that shared a common ancestor about 350 million years ago before diverging down different evolutionary paths.  Cold- and warm-blooded are colloquial, over-simplified terms that refer to the way animals regulate their body temperature. Endot