Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles The Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles (SSAR) is an international herpetological society. It is a non-profit organization supporting education, conservation, and research related to reptiles and amphibians. Regular publications include the "Journal of Herpetology" and "Herpetological Review". It is the largest international herpetological society, and is recognized worldwide for having the most diverse program of publications, meetings, and other activities. The SSAR Conservation Committee brings conservation issues that affect reptiles and amphibians to the attention of state and federal government agencies, non-government organizations, and herpetologists worldwide. The committee serves
Human uses of reptiles an important curative and believed to reinvigorate a person according to Traditional Chinese medicine. Lizards such as the Gila monster produce toxins with medical applications. Gila toxin reduces plasma glucose; the substance is now synthesised for use in the anti-diabetes drug exenatide (Byetta). A toxin from Gila monster saliva has been studied for use as an anti-Alzheimer's drug. The cytotoxic effect of snake venom is being researched as a potential treatment for cancers. Reptiles including crocodilians, snakes, turtles, and lizards are used in traditional medicine in Brazil for a wide range of conditions including asthma, headache, herpes zoster, impotence, infections,