Herpetology v. Ornithology: The Calling

I recently read a cartoon where on one side was an ornithologist talking how reptiles should be included in ornithology instead of being included within herpetology, because reptiles are more closely related to birds and mammals than they are to amphibians.

On the other side of the cartoon was a herpetologist saying how ornithologist are assholes.

It’s clear that ornithologists just want some cool eat-your-arm-off reptile action, what with their lack of excitement within the bird zone these days (seeing how pterodactyls are fully extinct now), and after seeing how cool Komodo dragons can be.

I guess it comes down to this: Reptiles are cool. Birds? Not so much. Unless it’s an eagle. Or vulture. Or other hawk-like creature.

Is it possible that ornithologists feel somewhat left out from attention and just want to be cool?

Perhaps they see their specialty as dwindling since children find reptiles (clearly) more appealing than birds, and end up becoming reptile experts, and in order to revive their specialty they want reptiles included within their area of studies.

I think that’s plausible.


On a side note, when and why did they add a ‘p’ to terodactyl? Change it back, please. No one likes a silent ‘p’, especially when talking about dinosaurs.