Thank you for your interest in AF's upcoming class - The Biology of the Despised. Since its inception, AF has prioritized elevating the world's Foul and Loathsome Creatures, and we strive to turn fear into fascination with animal groups that are often maligned, misunderstood, and unfortunately, maliciously killed.
Since 2016, and each year during the Atlanta Science Festival, we highlight a group of animals that most of our neighbors despise. It's heartening that these events generally attract a large and diverse crowd from our community. It is wonderful to engage with people about these incredible species, like Snapping Turtles, Toads or Copperheads, and answer questions to help our neighbors understand why that Snapper is digging a hole in their backyard, or how to properly identify a Copperhead. We might help save the life of a harmless and beneficial Dekays Snake, which are maliciously killed in large numbers by people who think they are venomous Copperheads.
Now, we are developing this model into a global online celebration of despised species — Join Us!
Foul and Loathsome Creatures
Did you know? The field of herpetology was established in the 18th century by a Swedish botanist who simply hated amphibians and reptiles, labeled them 'God's foul and loathsome creatures', and thanked the Lord for not making many of them. That is what the groups Amphibians and Reptiles have in common with each other and why they were originally grouped together — because some old Swedish man hated them. There are strong arguments supporting that amphibians are more closely aligned with fish, while reptiles and birds might fit together better taxonomically.
This class is intended to have broad global reach, as with our other online courses which have engaged with thousands of students of various backgrounds from around the world.
Right now, we are looking to recruit professionals and experts who study despised taxa ad would like to provide a lecture, and also those who are interested in signing up on the mailing list to take the course once it's launched.
Join Us!
If you have made it this far on the page, you might be interested to know that the beautiful leucistic Monacled Cobra (Naja kaouthia) at the top of the page is named Henrietta, and she lives at AF. (Photographed by Kevin Blackwell, AF Staff Photographer)