Staff Sgt. Aaron Christensen, a self-described reptile nut who grew up exploring the woods and coastlines of Oregon, leads the charge at night. Unlike most soldiers on their first deployment, he was just as fired up about the wildlife in the Afghan countryside as he was about potentially battling Taliban insurgents.

"I knew we had our job to do, but I was thinking in the back of my mind that I hope to see some of the cool things I have only seen in pictures or at exotic reptile shows," said Christensen, who has owned cobras, rattlesnakes, lizards and a small alligator as pets. He even has two of his pet snakes tattooed on his left biceps.

The 30-year-old native of Portland, Oregon, has not been disappointed with what he and his fellow soldiers have found around the 200-foot (60- meter) rock and mud hill where their base is located. It is teeming with a wealth of snakes, scorpions, spiders and other wildlife.

"I found a black widow spider, and the body alone was the size of my fingernail," said Sgt. James Wilkes, the platoon's 23-year-old radio operator. "It was ridiculous."

Christensen's most exciting discoveries have been the world's most dangerous scorpion, the death stalker, and one of Asia's deadliest snakes, the saw scaled viper.

While shopping in the store, [the plaintiff] felt a sharp sting in her forearm. When she pulled her arm back from the plants, a large, black snake was attached to her arm. The snake had bitten deeply into her arm and attached itself to her with its fangs. The snake was long enough that it hung down below her knee.

The presence of other species of reptiles and amphibians, collectively referred to as herpetofauna, or "herps," can sometimes be difficult to confirm. However, documenting the diversity of herps can serve as testament to the quality of the habitat.
With their thin, highly permeable, mucous-covered skin, amphibians, which spend part of their lives in water and part on land, are sensitive to the slightest changes in the aquatic and terrestrial habitats in which they live.
They are considered biological indicators of the health of the environment. The increasing challenges that amphibians and reptiles face often result from human-induced causes such as environmental pollution, habitat loss, introduced species, and over-harvesting or collecting. Worldwide declines in amphibian and reptile populations have been occurring at an accelerated rate over the past 20 years, raising concerns for their continued success and survival.