Information For Readers
General information
The Revista Lationoamericana de Herpetología (ISSN: 2594-2158) is an open access scientific journal with a double-blind peer-reviewed process and a continuous publishing model with four full issues published during a year (January-March, April-June, July-September and October-December). All the content of the Magazine is under the Creative Commons copyright Share-Alike license (see https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). All the numbers are available and archived through the server of the Faculty of Sciences, UNAM. You can access them here.
The Revista Lationoamericana de Herpetología (RLH) aims to “Disseminate works originals whose main object of study are amphibians and reptiles, as well as themes related to those taxonomic groups in the American Continent ”. The RLH's goal is to strengthen the ties of the Latin American community of herpetologists to through the publication of a solid journal with strong scientific rigor.
The RLH is a dissemination organ of the consortium of herpetology societies / associations among which are: Asociación Paraguaya de Herpetología, Asociación Red Chilena de Herpetología, Asociación Herpetológica Argentina, Sociedade Brasileira de Herpetologia, Asociación Colombiana de Herpetología, from Mexico Asociación para la Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios y Reptiles A.C. and the Sociedad Herpetológica Mexicana A.C.
The RLH has gone through tree major stages. It was born as the Boletín de la Sociedad Herpetológica Mexicana. The first issue of the SHM Bulletin was published in March from 1989. The Bulletin was printed on paper for more than 20 years. You can consult the archive here. In 2015 it was converted to the Revista Mexicana de Herpetología (RMH), published only online. It had a short life span, only 2 years active; you can find the files here. Finally, in July 2017 it becomes the Revista Lationoamericana de Herpetología.
The RLH accepts manuscripts in Spanish, Portuguese and English. However, if the main language of the manuscript is Spanish or Portuguese, the title, abstract, keywords, footnotes and tables headers must be also in English and vice versa. There is no limit of words in the manuscripts, although they are encouraged to submit less than 10 thousand words, including titles, abstracts, body of the writing and citations; without counting appendices, tables, and figure legends.
Publication times
Given the new continuous publishing system the RLH is committed to give a first decision within a maximum period of 90 calendar days (3 months). Likewise, authors who must make revisions of their manuscripts within the maximum established periods (see below) to submit a new version of their manuscript, taking into account the comments of the reviewers. The new version of the manuscript must be accompanied by a reply letter specifying what actions were carried out for each comment. If the revised manuscript is not received during this period, or as long as there is no response from the authors, the work will be automatically withdraw from the system.
RLH times
Articles
3 months maximum time of first decision
60 calendar days for the author to respond
6 months ideal time from submission to publication
Scientific Notes
2 months maximum time of first decision
45 calendar days for the author to respond
5 months ideal time from submission to publication
Distribution Notes
45 days maximum time for first decision
30 calendar days for the author to respond
4 months ideal time from submission to publication
Topics for RLH
The Revista Latinoamericana de Herpetología accepts manuscripts on all aspects of amphibian and reptile biology in the American Continent, including: biogeography, evolution, conservation, ecology, morphology, physiology, systematics, ethology, as well as topics related to herpetological education.
Although authors are encouraged to submit data-based manuscripts and hypothesis testing, or provide full descriptions of new taxa (living or fossil). We also urge herpetologists to approach theoretical aspects in a careful and thoughtful way. We also welcome extensive articles such as reviews of topics that may be of interest to the community. Likewise, articles are accepted that contain aspects of environmental policy and / or laws that are related to Amphibians and Reptiles.
Articles on captive breeding, new techniques or novel sampling methods, isolated anecdotal or must be presented in the form of scientific notes.
All submit scientific material go through a peer-review process. This is a double-blind system, where the Associate Editor sends the manuscript for peer-review and the reviewers may or may not sign the reviews.
We accept articles in Spanish, English and Português. Please note that there is no cost in publishing in the Revista Latinoamericana de Herpetología. Type of articles we accept are:
- Articles in extenso, original work or reviews.
- Scientific notes. Natural history notes. Ecological notes and Behavioural Notes.
- Short distribution notes.
- Perspectives, are opinion pieces with topics related to amphibians and reptiles.
- Editorials, articles by invitation that are of general interest.
- Book reviews.
- Obituaries.
Note that the journal will no longer publish abstracts of theses as such with the intention of encouraging new authors to send the results of their theses in scientific article format.
If you are not sure if your article falls within the appropriate topics of the RMH, please contact the Editorial Committee (revista.latin.herpetologia@gmail.com) before sending your manuscript.
All the Editorial Policies can be downloaded here.
