Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV)

What Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) does

The Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) is a global nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1990 and headquartered at PO Box 1868, Mt. Juliet, TN. It serves veterinarians, veterinary students, technicians, and reptile/amphibian pet owners through a portfolio of membership services, continuing education, peer-reviewed publishing, and a public-facing Find-A-Vet directory. ARAV positions itself as the only global professional organization specifically dedicated to reptile and amphibian veterinary medicine, and operates with a small staff of approximately 10 employees.

ARAV's core products include the Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery (JHMS), a quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal now hosted on the BioOne Complete platform and the only such journal in the field; the HerpVet intensive course for veterinary students and early-career veterinarians; a recurring calendar of conferences including the annual Exotic365 (with AEMV) and biennial ICARE (with AEMV, EAAV, ECZM); the Find-A-Vet searchable directory connecting pet owners to member veterinarians; the monthly Herp Blerp electronic newsletter; student chapters at veterinary schools; and a members-only Facebook group for case discussion. The underlying technology is conventional association infrastructure: a member database (arav.site-ym.com), an online Find-A-Vet directory (members.arav.org), event registration systems, and the BioOne-hosted journal platform. There is no evidence of proprietary technology, AI/ML capabilities, or custom software beyond standard association tooling.

ARAV's business model is diversified across five revenue streams: recurring membership dues, conference and event registration fees, journal subscriptions and publications (including $2,250 open-access fees per manuscript), advertising in the journal and Herp Blerp newsletter, and donations/grants administration. Pricing is tiered across member status (DVM member vs. non-member, students, technicians, interns/residents), with significant discounts for early-career members (e.g., Exotic365 Virtual at $99 for students vs. $449 for DVM non-members). Growth is community-led: ARAV acquires members through student chapters, conference attendance, professional referrals, and the Find-A-Vet directory, while corporate partnerships (notably ZooMed's sponsorship of the annual RAVE Award) and collaborations with adjacent veterinary associations and the CDC on zoonotic-disease guidelines extend the organization's reach and authority.

Name

Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV)

Legal name

Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians

Website

https://arav.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) is a global nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1990, serving veterinarians, students, and technicians in reptile and amphibian medicine through peer-reviewed publications, continuing education conferences, the Find-A-Vet directory, and conservation grant programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Veterinary Services (54194), Veterinary Services (541940)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAMAAAH

Exotic Companion Animal Veterinary Clinics (Birds/Reptiles/Small Mammals)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Veterinary & Animal Health/Veterinary Clinical Services (Companion Animal)

Keywords

• Veterinary professional association
• Herpetological medicine
• Exotic animal veterinary care
• Continuing veterinary education
• Scientific veterinary journal

Headquarters

HQ city

Mt. Juliet

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees provide access to benefits including the Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery, Find-A-Vet directory listing, Herp Blerp newsletter, discounted conference rates, and access to the members-only Facebook group.
2. Conference and Event Registration: Revenue from annual conferences including Exotic365, ICARE, and virtual events. Pricing varies by membership status and attendee type (DVM member vs non-member, students, technicians).
3. Journal Subscriptions and Publications: Revenue from the Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery, including subscriptions, single article purchases, and back issues. Published through BioOne for online access.
4. Advertising: Advertising opportunities in the Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery and the monthly Herp Blerp newsletter.
5. Open Access Publishing Fee: Optional open access publishing available for $2,250 USD per manuscript.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ARAV is a nonprofit professional membership association serving veterinarians and veterinary students with an interest in reptile and amphibian medicine. It delivers tiered membership benefits including a quarterly peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery), a Find-A-Vet public directory, a member-only newsletter and Facebook group, and access to continuing education through annual conferences (Exotic365, ICARE, ARAV Annual Conference), intensive courses (HerpVet), student chapters, and research/conservation grant programs.

Product overview

The Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) is a professional membership organization rather than a product company. It offers a portfolio of membership services including access to the Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery, Find-A-Vet directory, Herp Blerp newsletter, and member-only Facebook group. ARAV organizes multiple annual conferences (ARAV Annual Conference, Exotic365, Exotic365 Virtual) and the biennial ICARE conference in Europe. Educational programs include the HerpVet intensive course for veterinary students and early career veterinarians. The organization also administers two grant programs: the ARAV Research & Conservation Grant (up to $5,000) and the Conservation of Reptiles & Amphibians Grant ($1,500). Additional offerings include student chapters, a speaker database, internship/externship listings, and position statements on herpetological welfare and conservation issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Journal of Herpetological Medicine and Surgery: ARAV's own scientific journal dedicated to current research and advancements in herpetological medicine, delivered quarterly to members.
• Herp Blerp
• HerpVet
• RAVE Award

Quantifiable outcome

• 38 reptile species and 32 amphibian species protected by the Endangered Species Act, which ARAV advocates for

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians (AEMV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEMV collaborates with ARAV on joint conferences including Exotic365 Virtual and ICARE. The organizations share educational content and co-host continuing education events for exotic animal veterinarians.
• European Association for Avian Veterinarians (EAAV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEAAV co-hosts ICARE (International Conference on Avian, Reptile, and Exotic Medicine) held biennially in Europe, bringing together exotic animal veterinarians from around the world.
• European College of Zoological Medicine (ECZM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECZM collaborates with ARAV on ICARE conferences and professional development initiatives for zoological medicine specialists.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARAV collaborated with CDC on developing Salmonella guidelines for reptile and amphibian veterinarians and pet owners, addressing zoonotic disease prevention.
• American Association of Veterinary ParasitologyminorOthersImplied collaboration through conference partnerships and shared continuing education at exotic animal medicine conferences.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA): AVMA is the broad incumbent umbrella association for all US veterinarians. While not a specialist organization, it sets policy, provides continuing education, and represents the profession—directly overlapping with ARAV's educational and advocacy functions at a much larger scale.
• American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA): AAHA is a broad incumbent veterinary membership association with accreditation, education, and publications for companion animal hospitals. While not exotic-focused, it competes for the same veterinary professional membership dollars and offers an analogous association model.

Direct peers

• European Association for Avian Veterinarians (EAAV): EAAV is a direct peer and core ARAV partner, co-hosting ICARE biennially in Europe. Both organizations are specialty veterinary membership associations serving exotic animal practitioners with similar conference, journal, and continuing education models.
• American Association of Zoo Veterinarians (AAZV): AAZV serves zoo and wildlife veterinarians with a comparable membership, conference, and publication model. Many ARAV members are also zoo veterinarians (e.g., Dr. Charlie Innis at New England Aquarium), and the organizations overlap in audience and mission.
• Association of Avian Veterinarians (AAV): AAV is a sister specialty association for avian veterinarians with a comparable journal, conference, and member directory structure. ARAV and AAV frequently cross-promote and overlap in exotic animal continuing education.
• European College of Zoological Medicine (ECZM): ECZM is a strategic ARAV partner offering specialty certification in zoological medicine, including herpetology. Both organizations serve exotic animal veterinarians through certification, conferences (ICARE), and continuing education.
• Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians (AEMV): AEMV is the closest direct peer—a professional membership association for veterinarians specializing in exotic mammals. ARAV and AEMV co-host joint conferences (Exotic365, ICARE) and share overlapping membership, education, and publication models.

Others

• Veterinary Information Network (VIN): VIN is a large online community and continuing education platform for veterinarians, which ARAV leverages for VSPN rounds and member engagement. It is an ecosystem enabler rather than a competitor but serves overlapping veterinary audiences.

Emerging players

• Wildlife Disease Association (WDA): WDA serves wildlife health professionals including those working with reptiles and amphibians. ARAV's past president Dr. Mark Mitchell is a WDA member, illustrating the overlap in audience around wildlife and herpetological medicine.

Regional players

• International Herpetological Society (IHS): IHS is a UK-based herpetological society focused on reptile and amphibian husbandry and conservation. While not veterinary-specific, it serves a similar enthusiast/professional community and complements ARAV's mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ARAVvets
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-reptilian-and-amphibian-veterinarians

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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