Biologists often just call them herps, an abbreviated version of the term herpetofauna meaning the reptiles and amphibians of a specific region. The herpetofauna of Louisiana is diverse because of our mild climate that is conducive to the well-being of cold-blooded animals and because of our great variety of habitat types, from upland forests to brackish marshes.
Diverse Reptiles Thrive in Louisiana
![Ouchley](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/079ca61/2147483647/strip/true/crop/594x700+0+0/resize/880x1037!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fsites%2Fkedm%2Ffiles%2F201410%2Fkelby_ouchley.jpg)
K. Ouchley