Controlled names derived from the AMNH Library catalog.
For use with uncontrolled names found in AMNH documentation.
The Department of Herpetology is part of the American Museum of Natural History, located in New York.
The department’s collection of reptile and amphibian specimens grew rapidly during the early to mid-20th century, from some 6000 specimens in 1910 to 110,000 specimens by 1940. A large percentage of these specimens were obtained from expeditions conducted by department staff throughout the 1920s and 30s, during the museum’s ‘golden age of exploration’. By 1950, department staff had organized and participated in over 25 expeditions in North America, Central America, the Caribbean and New Guinea. The second half of the 20th century saw further important expedition work and herpetological research conducted in the southwestern United States, New Guinea, and Central and South America. Early curators of the Department of Herpetology stressed the importance of using the knowledge and specimens gained from these expeditions in implementing an exhibition program for reptiles and amphibians. The department has been responsible for the development of two major permanent halls at the museum: the Hall of Reptiles and Amphibians, in existence from 1927 to 1968, and the current Hall of the Biology of Reptiles and Amphibians, opened in 1977.
Dickerson is credited as the founder of the first independent Department of Herpetology. She was initially appointed in 1909 as an assistant in the Department of Herpetology and Ichthyology (1, p. 8), before being promoted to Assistant Curator of Herpetology in January 1911 (2, 1911 p. 27), and to Associate Curator in 1913 (2, 1913 p. 60). During her tenure in the Department of Herpetology and Ichthyology, Dickerson was dedicated to collection building, research, and exhibition development in an effort to establish a stand-alone herpetology department (1). She was appointed Curator of the new Department of Herpetology on February 2, 1920 (2, 1920 p. 36), but resigned in November of the same year (1, p. 15).
Dean was Curator of the newly founded Department of Herpetology and Ichthyology from 1909 to 1913 (1, p. 8; 2, 1913 p. 35).
Schmidt worked intermittently as an assistant in the Department of Herpetology and Ichthyology from 1916 (1, p. 22), before serving as Assistant Curator in the Department of Herpetology from May 1920 to July 1922, with a period of absence July 1920 to May 1921 (1, p. 24; 2, 1920 p. 36; 2, 1921 p. 34).
Noble was initially appointed in June 1917 as Research Assistant in the Department of Herpetology and Ichthyology (2, 1917 p. 76). He was promoted to Assistant Curator in February 1919 (2, 1919 p. 38), before heading the department from 1921 until 1940. Noble served as Assistant Curator in Charge from 1921 (2, 1920 p. 8), as Associate Curator in Charge from 1922 (2, 1922 p. 23), and as Curator from 1924 (2, 1924 p. 190) up until his unexpected death in 1940. Like his predecessor, Dickerson, Noble stressed exhibition development and expansion of the herpetological collections, but also held a strong interest in laboratory-based experimental research (1, p. 34-35).
Ortenburger was appointed Assistant Curator of the Department of Herpetology in 1922, but resigned in 1923 (2, 1922 p. 24; 1, p. 44)
Pope was appointed Assistant in Herpetology in 1926 (2, 1926 p. 29), as a result of his participation in the Central Asiatic Expedition from 1921 to 1926 collecting specimens on behalf of the department (1, p. 146). Pope was promoted to Assistant Curator in 1928 (1, p. 44), which he served as until his dismissal from the position April 30, 1935, by director Roy Chapman Andrews (1, p. 52).
Burt was hired as Assistant Curator in 1929, but was not re-appointed for a second year (2, 1929 p. 49; 2, 1930 p. 96; 1, p. 47).
Bogert joined the department staff in 1936 as Assistant in Herpetology (2, 1991-1992 p. 27), and was promoted to Assistant Curator in February 1937 (2, 1937 p. 118). He served as Assistant Curator (In Charge) from 1941 (2, 1941 p. 46), as Acting Curator of Recent Amphibians and Reptiles from 1942 (2, 1942 p. 56), and as Chairman and Curator of the department from 1944 (2, 1944 p. 64) until his retirement from the museum in 1968 (1, p. 59). Bogert continued his work in herpetology as Curator Emeritus from 1968 until his death in 1992 (2, 1968 p. 20; 2, 1991-1992 p. 27).
Colbert served as Chairman of the Department of Amphibians and Reptiles during the period from 1942 to 1944 when the department included both living and extinct species (1, p. 57-58).
Oliver joined the department as Assistant Curator from May 1942, with a period of absence at war from 1943 to 1945 (1, p. 56). Oliver was promoted to Associate Curator in July 1947, but resigned in June of 1948 (1, p. 59). In 1959 Oliver returned to the museum as Director, where he helped to strengthen the Department of Herpetology (1, p. 59).
Zweifel joined the department in July 1954 as Assistant Curator (1, p. 60). He served as Associate Curator from 1960, as Curator from 1965 (1, p. 60), and as Chairman of the department from 1968 (2, 1968 p. 20). Zweifel retired from the Chairmanship in 1989, continuing his research as Curator Emeritus (1, p. 63).
Myers joined the department in June 1968 as Assistant Curator, before serving as Associate Curator from 1973, as Curator from 1978, and as Chairman from 1980. Myers was appointed Curator in the 1987 changeover to the Department of Herpetology and Ichthyology (2, 1987-1988 p. 82), before being promoted to Chairman of the department in 1993. Myers retired as Chairman of the Department of Herpetology in January 1999, continuing his research as Curator Emeritus (1, p. 60-62).
Cole joined the department in 1969 as Assistant Curator, and served as Associate Curator from 1974 and as Curator from 1979 (1, p. 61). Cole retired from the Department of Herpetology in July 2003, continuing his research as Curator Emeritus (3).
Nelson was appointed Chairman of the re-combined Department of Herpetology and Ichthyology in 1987, serving in this role until 1993 (1, p. 61).
Frost joined the department in 1990 as Assistant Curator, was promoted to Associate Curator in 1995 (1, p. 63), and temporarily filled the position of Acting Chairman in 1999 (2, 1998-1999 p. 65). Frost has since served as Curator, and in some years as Curator-in-Charge (2, 2001-2003 p. 73; 2, 2006 p. 52; 2, 2007-2008 p. 21; 2, 2009 p. 16; 2, 2010 p. 14).
*it is unclear from Annual Reports dated 2001-03 to the present in which periods Frost has headed the department
Raxworthy has served as Associate Curator, and in some years as Curator-in-Charge, since joining the department in 2000 (2, 2001-2003 p. 18, 73; 2, 2006 p. 52; 2, 2007-2008 p. 21; 2, 2009 p. 16; 2, 2010 p. 14).
*it is unclear from Annual Reports dated 2000 to the present in which periods Raxworthy has headed the department
Multidisciplinary expedition by Herbert Lang and James Paul Chapin to the Belgian Congo, collecting a wide range of specimens including 4800 reptiles & amphibians (1, p. 141)
Expedition Dickerson arranged for assistant Clarence R. Halter to join, collecting in the Dominican Republic (450 amphibian and reptile specimens collected) (1, p. 119; 2, 1915 p. 65)
Expedition arranged by Dickerson for assistant Clarence R. Halter to collect in Nicaragua (2500 herpetological specimens collected) (1, p. 120; 2, 1916 p. 71)
Expedition arranged by Dickerson for assistant Emmett Reid Dunn to collect in North Carolina (1000 amphibian and reptiles specimens collected) (1, p. 119; 2, 1916 p. 72)
Expedition by Karl Patterson Schmidt to Puerto Rico, to collect reptiles and amphibians and study their habits (2, 1919 p. 85)
Expedition sponsored by the department for Robert D. Camp to collect reptiles in southern Arizona (1, p. 112; 2, 1919 p. 86)
Expedition sponsored by the department for Paul Ruthling to collect reptiles in Mexico City, Vera Cruz and Guadalajara (1, p. 112; 2, 1919 p. 86; 2, 1920 p. 85)
Multidisciplinary expedition delivering a large collection of herpetological specimens to the department (1, p. 150; 2, 1921 p. 75; 2, 1922 p. 81)
Multidisciplinary expedition joined by Clifford H. Pope in China from 1921-26, collecting herpetological specimens (1, p. 146; 2, 1921 p. 75; 2, 1922 p. 81)
Expedition by Gladwyn Kingsley Noble to collect for the Hall of Reptile and Amphibian Life (3500 reptile & amphibian specimens collected) (1, p. 129; 2, 1922 p. 80)
Expedition by Arthur I. Ortenburger to the Catalina Mountains, to study and collect gila monster specimens (2, 1923 p. 106)
Expedition Gladwyn Kingsley Noble arranged for Charles M. Breder to participate in on behalf of the department, collecting over 2000 reptiles & amphibians in eastern Panama (1, p. 134; 2, 1924 p. 74)
Expedition by museum trustee William Douglas Burden and herpetologist Emmett Reid Dunn, to collect Komodo dragons (1, p. 134; 2, 1926 p. 61)
Expedition by Clifford H. Pope to the mountains of North Western Carolina and Kentucky, to study salamanders (2, 1927 p. 62)
Expedition by Byron C. Marshall to Texas, Arkansas and Missouri, to study blind salamanders (2, 1928 p. 21)
Expedition by Gladwyn Kingsley Noble to Woods Hole, Massachusetts (2, 1928 p. 21)
Expedition by museum member Jay A. Weber to Panama, to collect reptiles and amphibians (2, 1928 p. 21)
Expedition by C. Ralph De Sola to Cuba, to collect lizards and eggs for the experimental biology laboratory (2, 1929 p. 66)
Expedition to Haiti financed and organized by volunteer Gilbert C. Klingel on behalf of the department, primarily to photograph lizards (1, p. 129)
Expedition by herpetology assistant William G. Hassler to northern Florida, to collect and study life histories of amphibians (2, 1929 p. 11)
Expedition by herpetology assistant William G. Hassler to the Dominican Republic, to collect for the Hall of Reptile and Amphibian Life (10,000 specimens collected) (1, p. 131; 2, 1929 p. 11; 2, 1930 p. 24)
Expedition by Gladwyn Kingsley Noble to the mountains of west Virginia, to study and collect live salamanders (2, 1930 p. 21)
Expedition led by volunteer Gilbert C. Klingel to the West Indies and Central America, to study and collect lizards (1700 reptile specimens collected) (1, p. 133; 2, 1930 p. 23; 2, 1931 p. 20)
Expedition the department organized with the National Zoological Park sending Maurice K. Brady to southern Florida, to collect live amphibians and reptiles for the experimental biology laboratory (2, 1931 p. 23)
Expedition financed and conducted on behalf of the department by Sherman Pratt, collecting reptiles in Honduras (2, 1932 p. 41)
Expedition financed by John C. Armstrong and led by herpetology assistant William G. Hassler to Santo Domingo, to study reptiles & amphibians (1400 specimens collected) (1, p. 131; 2, 1932 p. 41; 2, 1933 p. 13)
Multidisciplinary expedition by mammalogy Research Associate Richard Archbold to New Guinea, collecting birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish (2, 1933 p. 11)
Multidisciplinary expeditions led by Richard Archbold to New Guinea, to collect birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish (1, p. 152-153; 2, 1934 p. 24; 2, 1935 p. 26; 2, 1936 p. 44; 2, 1937 p. 44)
Expedition by herpetology assistant William G. Hassler to Haiti and the Dominican Republic, studying tropical reptiles (1500 specimens collected) (1, p. 133; 2, 1935 p. 31)
Multidisciplinary expedition to British Guiana joined by Robert Snedigar on behalf of the department, to study life histories of reptiles and amphibians (2, 1937 p. 59)
Expedition by Charles M. Bogert to Mexico, to collect iguana (2, 1939 p. 19)
Multidisciplinary expedition to Mexico participated in by the department, to collect reptiles and amphibians (2, 1946 p. 22)
Field trip by James Arthur Oliver to Bimini in the Bahamas, to make a survey of fauna (2, 1951 p. 24)
Expedition by Charles M. Bogert to Honduras jungles, to collect and take temperatures of snakes (2, 1948 p. 11)
Field trip by Charles M. Bogert to southwestern United States and Mexico, for ecological research and collection of amphibians and reptiles (2, 1950 p. 28)
Field trip by Mr. and Mrs. Hecht (herpetology Scientific Assistant) to Jamaica, to collect fossil and living reptiles and amphibians (2, 1950 p. 28)
Field trip by Charles M. Bogert to Arizona, California and Mexico, to study temperature regulation of reptiles and amphibians (2, 1953 p. 57)
Field trip by Charles M. Bogert to southwestern United States and Mexico, studying thermoregulation in reptiles and recording frog sounds (2, 1955 p. 33)
Multidisciplinary expedition to southeast New Guinea, collecting 907 specimens for the Department of Reptiles and Amphibians (2, 1956 p. 19)
Multidisciplinary expedition joined by Richard George Zweifel to islands off the west coast of Mexico, studying and collecting herpetofauna (2, 1956 p. 19)
Expedition joined by herpetology Field Associate William Hosmer to Australia, to collect reptiles and amphibians (1426 specimens collected) (2, 1960 p. 38)
Field trip by Charles M. Bogert to Oaxaca, Mexico, to collect reptiles and amphibians (2, 1961 p. 32; 2, 1962 p. 29; 2, 1963 p. 36)
See also Bogert Field Trip to Mexico 1964, 1965 and Bogert Expedition to Mexico 1967.
Expedition by Richard George Zweifel to New Guinea, to study and collect reptiles and amphibians and record frog calls (900 specimens collected) (1, p. 115; 2, 1964 p. 39)
Field trip by Charles M. Bogert to Oaxaca, Mexico, to collect reptiles and amphibians (2, 1964 p. 38)
See also Bogert Field Trip to Mexico 1962-1963 and Bogert Expedition to Mexico 1967.
Field trip by Charles M. Bogert to Ceylon, to study dwarf toads (2, 1965 p. 42)
Field trip by Charles M. Bogert to Oaxaca, Mexico, to collect reptiles and amphibians (2, 1966 p. 40)
See also Bogert Field Trip to Mexico 1962-1963 and Bogert Field Trip to Mexico 1964, 1965.
Field trip by Richard George Zweifel to New Guinea, studying, collecting and recording frogs (1, p. 115; 2, 1968 p. 20)
Expedition joined by Richard George Zweifel to New Guinea, to study and collect reptiles and amphibians and record frog calls (1, p. 115; 2, 1969 p. 22)
Field trip by Charles W. Myers to Panama and Columbia, to study biology of poison-arrow frogs (2, 1969 p. 22; 2, 1970 p. 22; 2, 1971 p. 22; 2, 1972-1973 p. 18; 2, 1973-1974 p. 17)
Field trips by Charles W. Myers to Ecuador, Peru and Columbia, studying the chemical and pharmacological properties of frog poison (2, 1974-1975 p. 17; 2, 1975-1976 p. 18; 2, 1976-1977 p. 19; 2, 1977-1978 p. 13; 2, 1978-1979 p. 22)
Expedition by Charles W. Myers to Cerro Tacarcuna, Panama, to study amphibians and reptiles (2, 1974-1975 p. 17)
Field trips by Charles W. Myers to Ecuador and Panama, to study poison frogs and assess environmental impact of a proposed dam (2, 1979-1980 p. 21)
Expeditions by Charles W. Myers to western Panama, to study poison frogs, reptiles and other amphibians of cloud forests (2, 1981-1982 p. 17; 2, 1982-1983 p. 17; 2, 1983-1984 p. 23)
Multi-disciplinary expedition involving several herpetology department staff to Cerro de la Neblina, southern Venezuela, to study herpetofauna of tepuis (1, p. 158; 2, 1983-1984 p. 10; 2, 1984-1985 p. 21)
Multi-disciplinary expedition involving several department staff to southern Venezuela and Cerro Guaiquinima in eastern Venezuela, to study and collect new herpetological specimens (1, p. 159; 2, 1988-1989 p. 19; 2, 1989-1990 p. 19)
Multi-disciplinary expedition involving several department staff to Auyantepui, Venezuela, to study tepui herpetofauna (1, p. 160; 2, 1993-1994 p. 32; 2, 1994-1995/1995-1996 p. 27)
Herpetology and Ichthyology have been combined into a joint Department of Herpetology and Ichthyology during two periods in the museum's history, from 1901 to 1920, and again from 1987 to 1997 (1, p. 8; 2, 1920 p. 36; 2, 1987-1988 p. 23; 1, p. 62).
The department has conducted research at the Southwestern Research Station in Arizona since 1957 (2, 1957 p. 26). Richard George Zweifel and Charles J. Cole in particular carried out extensive herpetological research here (2, 1960 p. 37; 2, 1972-1973 p. 18; 2, 1973-1974 p. 17; 2, 1974-1975 p. 17; 2, 1982-1983 p. 17; 2, 1983-1984 p. 23; 2, 1984-1985 p. 21; 2, 1993-1994 p. 32).
The department conducted herpetological research at the Kalbfleisch Field Research Station from 1959 to 1979. Richard George Zweifel in particular carried out extensive herpetological research here (2, 1959 p. 28; 2, 1960 p. 37; 2, 1961 p. 30; 2, 1962 p. 30; 2, 1963 p. 36; 2, 1964 p. 40; 2, 1965 p. 65; 2, 1966 p. 41; 2, 1967 p. 36; 2, 1968 p. 21; 2, 1970 p. 22; 2, 1972-1973 p. 18; 2, 1975-1976 p. 18; 2, 1976-1977 p. 19; 2, 1977-1978 p. 13; 2, 1978-1979 p. 22; 2, 1979-1980 p. 21).
This exhibition hall was created by the Department of Herpetology under the direction of Gladwyn Kingsley Noble (1, p. 86). The hall was first opened to the public in June 1927, and closed in 1968 (1, p. 61).
This exhibition hall was created by the Department of Herpetology with an aim to integrate specimen displays with information on related biological principles (1, p. 89). The hall was opened to the public in November of 1977 (1, p. 93).
Creator: American Museum of Natural History. Department of Herpetology.
Repository: AMNH. Department of Herpetology