Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(12)

Koch, A. 2025. Carl Hagenbeck’s Trade in Reptiles, His Historical Reptile Exhibitions, and His Herpetological Legacy Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(12):132–150.

The name of Carl Hagenbeck is commonly linked to the Hamburg Zoo, a circus, the large-scale animal trade, and the controversial historical ethnological shows, so-called human zoos or Völkerschauen. All these enterprises were involved with animals, whether they were wild or domestic. Although reptiles, and particularly amphibians, appear to have played no major role in Carl Hagenbeck’s international endeavors, this paper aims to explore his historical impact on herpetologists, reptile keepers, and the public, particularly in German-speaking countries. I will demonstrate that historical studies of herpetology and herpetoculture have neglected Carl Hagenbeck’s firm and will reveal the significant role that large reptile species, such as crocodiles, alligators, and giant snakes played in his various endeavors, but especially in his reptile exhibitions, which have received little attention from historians and herpetologists to date. Therefore, Carl Hagenbeck’s influence on scientists, animal keepers, and the general public deserves greater recognition.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(11)

Dodd, C. K. Jr. 2025. A Note on Carolina Frog Farms, Columbus County, North Carolina, USA. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(11):128–131.

In the mid-1950s, Douglas Reynolds of Baltimore, Maryland, had the idea of developing a frog farm industry at his family’s farm in Old Dock, Columbus County, North Carolina. Reynolds was in the U.S. Navy in World War II where he was an electrician, an occupation he followed in Baltimore. He was seriously injured in an electrical accident that hospitalized him for nearly a year. While recovering, he became friends with a physician named Leonard McGlothlin who convinced him to look into frog farming as a way to supply American demands for frog’s legs. McGlothlin traveled with Reynolds to the Reynolds’ family farm and after seeing the farm, suggested that frog farming might be suitable in eastern North Carolina. To Reynolds, it seemed like a way to supplement the farm income.

After several years, Reynolds was able to dig his first one-acre pond. He imported his first bullfrogs from New Orleans. Combined with bullfrogs from Arkansas, he claimed to have developed a new breed of bullfrog, the “Giant Food Frog.” His father, Henry Earl Reynolds, and two assistants ran the farm, named Carolina Frog Farms, which he supervised by flying back and forth from Baltimore to North Carolina in his private plane. No information could be found on the fate of the Carolina Frog Farms, how long it operated, or how successful or unsuccessful it was. Douglas Reynolds never returned to live in Old Dock, and his father died in December 1960 perhaps ending the younger Douglas’ incentive to continue the enterprise.

In connection with the establishment of Carolina Frog Farms, Reynolds, in collaboration with others, published a book on frog farming in 1957 titled The Breeding of Giant Food Frogs. In terms of frog-farming publications, The Breeding of Giant Food Frogs is certainly one of the most professionally produced books. Today, however, both the book and Carolina Frog Farms are little-known and nearly lost to memory. The only apparent historic evidence of the farm’s existence is this small book on how to construct a frog farm and raise bullfrogs and some period newspaper articles. The image below is from p.77 and shows Douglas Reynolds’ sister Edna (Peggy) Worrell holding American Bullfrogs at Carolina Frog Farms.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(10)

Bell, C. J., and S. Skwarcan. 2025. A Snake Icon in Industrial Advertising: Oldsmobile, the 39^th Fighter Squadron and Life Magazine in 1943. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(10):122–127. 

Snakes, and especially venomous snakes, are well represented as icons on heraldic crests, emblems, patches and other insignia of the United States armed services. Their use may variously represent power, strength, speed, resiliency, tenacity, flexibility, and the danger a unit poses to its enemies. On 18 October 1943 readers of Life magazine encountered a striking, full-page, full-color advertisement dedicated to the “Cobra Cannoneers” featuring a prominently placed cobra rising above a cloud bank with mouth open and fangs exposed. The ad was dedicated to the 39^th Fighter Squadron of the U. S. Army Air Corps and simultaneously promoted the industrial productions of the Oldsmobile Division of General Motors in support of the United States war effort in World War II. The squadron was reactivated as the 39^th Tactical Reconnaissance Training Squadron in 1969. Apart from short service as a test squadron they remained a flying training unit since 1990 and are currently stationed at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas.

Throughout that history the cobra emblem was retained but it was modified in several ways. In the early design of the emblem the snake’s mouth is open, a red forked tongue extending between two exposed fangs. In later designs either two or four drops of venom are dripping from the fangs. A special ‘morale’ patch was issued during the COVID shutdown that featured a festive, holiday version of the emblem in which the cobra dons a Santa Claus hat and drips venom towards Santa’s sleigh and reindeer as they pass in front of the cloud bank below the cobra’s head.

It is clear from our preliminary exploration of military heraldry that snakes of various kinds are somewhat common in emblems and unit insignia of the armed services of the United States of America. The Oldsmobile advertisement in 1943 is special because it brought this example of reptilian iconography to the attention of a broad audience in the readership of Life Magazine, one of the prominent magazines of the time in the United States.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(9)

Lavilla, E. O. 2025. Science, Myth, and Otherness: Herpetological Readings of Linnaeus’s Lapland Journal. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(9):116–121.

After a turbulent beginning to the 18th century—marked by wars, famine, plague, and foreign invasions—Sweden began a slow process of reconstruction in 1721. It was in this context that Carl Linnaeus (1707–1778) emerged, a figure who would not only reshape natural science but also wield considerable influence on Swedish economic policy well into the 1770s. Linnaeus promoted an innovative idea for the time: to reduce imports by identifying and acclimatizing useful plants from abroad, making them grow in the harsher environments of the Baltic states.

To achieve this goal, Linnaeus and his select group of students undertook scientific expeditions both in Sweden and across the globe. Their twin objectives were to understand the country’s ecology and to collect seeds and plants suitable for cultivation. These journeys also produced a wealth of information on plants, animals, minerals and human societies from all corners of the world, meticulously recorded under Linnaeus’s guidance.

Between 1732 and 1749, Linnaeus embarked on five major journeys through Sweden: to Lapland (1732), Dalarna (1734), the Baltic islands of Öland and Gotland (1741), Västergötland (1746), and Scania (1749). This article focuses solely on the 1732 Lapland expedition—Linnaeus’s first and most iconic journey. It marked the transformation of the student into a field naturalist and left a lasting imprint on his scientific development. The content of this article is based on the manuscript of the Iter Lapponicum held at the Linnean Society of London in 1732 and on the transcription prepared by Ewald Ährling in 1889.

Just Published — Now Available

ISHBH contributed to the publication this, the 35th volume in the Contributions to Herpetology series published by the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles. As a result ISHBH has a limited number of copies available for sale: ISHBH members $81.00 (plus postage), non-members $90.00 (plus postage). 

Savage, Jay M., Marcus Sparreboom and Gregory K. Pregill. 2025. The Dutch Indies Commission and the Herpetological Legacy of Heinrich Boie (1794–1827). SSAR, Villanova, xiv, 360 p. (7). Clothbound. $90 (ISHBH members $81) 

 Although never published, Heinrich Boie’s Erpétologie de Java, written two centuries ago, was one of the most influential herpetological works of the 19th century. Boie’s manuscript served as the basis for many descriptions of amphibians and reptiles published between the 1820s and 1850s by his brother Friedrich and leading herpetologists of the early 19th century like Schlegel, Fitzinger, Tschudi, Gravenhorst and Wagler. 

In this volume, Jay Savage, Marcus (Max) Sparreboom, and Gregory Pregill place Boie and his work in the context of The Natural History Commission of the Netherlands Indies — the larger scientific endeavour in which Boie was a participant — review Boie’s surviving manuscript text and accompanying plates housed in the archives of the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden, and trace Boie’s herpetological legacy through the generation of authors who were influenced by his work. The authorship of names attributed to Boie and the nomenclatural, taxonomic, and bibliographic details of the works that referenced Erpétologie de Java are also critically evaluated in a series of 16 appendices, resolving many nomenclatural issues relating to Southeast Asian reptiles and amphibians.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(8)

Dodd, C. K. Jr. 2025. Herpetology in the Report of the First Scientific Expedition to Manchuokuo. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(8):108–115.

In 1931, the Empire of Japan invaded and occupied Manchuria and in 1932 proclaimed the puppet state of Manchuokuo (spelled Manchukuo in the West). In 1933, they invaded the Chinese province of Jehol, formerly known as Rehe, to form a buffer zone between China and the puppet state of Manchuokuo. The First Scientific Expedition to Manchuokuo (FSEM) occurred during the transition from Han Chinese rule to Japanese rule, when Imperial Japan was interested in demonstrating to the world it could create a modern multi-ethnic Pan-Asian state. The FSEM centered its activities in Jehol between Chifeng, Chaoyang, and Chengde, the largest cities at the time, with occasional forays north or south of these cities, such as to the wetlands along the Chaogedu’er River in what is today the Yudaokou Grassland Forest Scenic Park.

The FSEM reported six species of amphibians and 10 species of reptiles from Jehol. No salamanders were found. The frogs Bombina orientalis, Dryophytes japonicus, and Kaloula borealis are now known to be present but were not observed. One lizard, Scincella modesta, and three snakes, Euprepiophis mandarinus, Oocatochus rufodorsatus, Orientocoluber spinalis, also were not recorded, although they are present on the western side of the Bohai Sea. No fossil amphibians or reptiles were found based on the summer fieldwork in northern Manchuokuo in 1933, but it was later noted that fossils of Pelodiscus maackii were found in Quaternary deposits near where Tokunaga had worked.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(7)

Bauer, A. M. 2025. Testudo atlas Barton, 1806, a long-forgotten synonym of the Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus) and a senior secondary homonym of the largest tortoise that ever lived. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(7):101–107.

Benjamin Smith Barton (1766–1815) was based in Philadelphia, the cultural and intellectual hub of the United States at the turn of the 19^th century. Although he was plagued by unfinished projects, chronic debt, and was considered by some ambitious, untalented and unqualified (e.g., he never received the medical degree he claimed to have), Barton nonetheless achieved success and renown, holding positions of prestige and respect in institutions and societies in the United States and enjoying a positive reputation in Europe, where he had established a network of correspondents.

Barton was prolific, writing on medical topics and ethnography as well as natural history. In the field of herpetology his main contributions were on salamanders, rattlesnakes, and the alligator. Many of his papers were addressed to European colleagues and published in the form of letters to particular scientists. For example, his 1808 monograph on Siren was addressed to the philologist Johann Gottlob Schneider (1750–1822), although it was apparently never sent to him. However, beyond his more noteworthy contributions on amphibians and reptiles, Barton also published smaller notes, largely unnoticed by later workers, some of which proposed new names. For example, in 1807 Barton erected three new names for species of Cryptobranchus in The Philadelphia Medical and Physical Journal, a periodical that he founded and edited. This paper had apparently been cited only once until it was recently rediscovered. I here provide a brief discussion of another Barton herpetological contribution, the description of the Gopher Tortoise (Gopherus polyphemus), that seems to have escaped detection for more than 200 years.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(6)

Jacobs, H. J., and G. M. Shea. 2025. The Natuurkundige Commissie on New Guinea in 1828. II. Serpentes (Colubridae, Elapidae, Typhlopidae) and Sauria (Agamidae, Dibamidae, Gekkonidae, Varanidae). Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(6):57–100.

The second Dutch Natuurkundige Commissie spent nearly twelve years in the Dutch East Indies. Most of the scientists died during the expedition, with only Salomon Müller returning to the Netherlands with the collections. The progressive loss of the senior scientists, Boie and Macklot, resulted in Müller moving up the ranks of seniority and taking progressively greater responsibility for the collection and documentation of the zoological collections. The recent release online of the archival manuscript material from this expedition has allowed a better understanding of the extent of their collections. In this second part of our study of the archival material relating to the expedition’s voyage to New Guinea in 1828, we document and translate the material relating to the eleven species of snakes and non-scincid lizards: Psamophis chlorogastra Müll. and Elaps oculiferus Müll., Dendrophis capistratus Müll., Dipsas lacrÿmans Müll., Tropidonotus picturatus Müll., Acontias polygrammicus Müll., Acontias coecus Cuvier, Calotes megapogon Müll., Hemidactylus baliatus Müll., Gonyodactylus Boiei Müll., and Varanus prasinus Mull., as Müller chose to call them. We place these descriptions and images in the context of the state of knowledge of the reptile fauna at the time of the Natuurkundige Commissie, as well as the contributions they made to progressing knowledge of the region’s herpetofauna, often involving formal publication of new taxa by Hermann Schlegel in Leiden and Duméril and Bibron in Paris, among others.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(5)

Bauer, A. M. 2025. John Hutchison Garnier (1823–1898) and his Contributions to the Herpetology of Ontario. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(5):35–56.

John Hutchison Garnier (1823–1898) was a pioneering herpetologist based in the town of Lucknow, Ontario. Some mystery surrounds his birthplace as well as his birthname. Garnier was a physician but spent much of his time hunting and observing wildlife. He built a large private natural history collection by exchanging specimens with correspondents all over the world. Among his papers on amphibians and reptiles was the first list of the herpetofauna of Ontario published in 1881 and augmented in 1882 and 1894. Although his species list was inflated with misidentifications and synonyms, he appears to have recognized 39 of the 50 species of amphibians and reptiles currently accepted as present in the province or recently extirpated. Garnier’s publications included several novel nomina. He described two species of Necturus from Ontario. While one is generally acknowledged and included in the synonymy of N. maculosus, the other has only been cited once in 144 years. Additional new varieties named by Garnier have likewise escaped notice. He also published on the two rattlesnake species in Ontario, including the now extirpated Crotalus horridus, and on treatments for snakebite. Most of Garnier’s work is now forgotten and only 50 Ontario specimens are confirmed as extant from his collection, now housed in the Royal Ontario Museum and the U.S. National Museum of Natural History. His activities as a frontier naturalist in the mid-19^th century represent a starting point for herpetological studies in Ontario.

2025 Business Meeting Announcement

Dear ISHBH members, 

The International Society for the History and Bibliography of Herpetology (ISHBH) will be holding its annual business meeting and library tour during the JMIH conference in St. Paul, Minnesota, July 9-13. 

The business lunch is set for Thursday, July 10, at noon. We will need to estimate the number of attendees in order to reserve space. All ISHBH members planning on attending should contact Aaron Bauer or John Moriarty by July 5 to confirm their attendance. Please let us know if you will have any guests as well. Lunch will be at a nearby restaurant (easy walking distance from the venue). 

The library tour will be held at the Wangensteen Historical Library of Biology and Medicine on the Minneapolis Campus of the Univ. of MN on Friday, July 11 at 1:00 PM. The curators will have a selection of antiquarian herpetological books on display and have a tour of the vault. Because of the off-site location and space limitations, we also need to know how many people plan on coming to this event. Please contact Aaron Bauer or John Moriarty if interested in attending. If you have not yet registered for the JMIH meeting, early registration closes on June 8. I hope to see many of you in St. Paul in a few months. 

Best wishes, 

Aaron Aaron M. Bauer, Chair ISHBH

Letter to the Membership - Upcoming elections

Dear ISHBH members, The current slate of officers has been in office for too long! This was a necessity to get the ISHBH “re-established” after the death of our founding Chairman, Richard Wahlgren. With our recent approval of our tax-exempt status in the US and the transfer of our ISSN numbers (printed and electronic) from Swedish to American registration, we are able to move forward. Of the seven officers, four wish to step down at the end of their terms (John Murphy, Chris Bell, Luis Ceríaco, and Eric Hilton). Breck Bartholomew (Editor) and Ralph Tramontano (Managing Editor) are willing to continue in their positions. I (Aaron Bauer, Chair) am also happy to stay on in my position, but would also be content should someone else wish to take my place. Of utmost importance is the need for a new Treasurer. We seek someone with some experience for this position. While all other positions are open to any members, the Treasurer’s post is, for practical reasons, limited to members resident in the United States, where our bank (Wells Fargo) is located. Whole not an absolute necessity, it would be beneficial if the candidate for this position lived in a state with Wells Fargo offices (there are 37 such states), in case any future issue might require in person interactions at a branch office. It is likely that the Secretary’s role, at least in terms of managing the membership list will be combined with the main Treasurer’s function. We especially welcome candidates for any of the positions that would bring a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and opinions to the ISHBH Board. A willingness to engage is required, but the total time commitment for most positions is limited. Most positions are suitable for students and all positions except the Treasurer are open to members worldwide. If you have been enjoying Bibliotheca Herpetologica and Wahlgreniana or have joined in our annual meeting, please consider a more active participation in the ISHBH and submit your name to stand for election. Please either nominate someone (with their permission) or self-nominate for a Board position by contacting me (Aaron Bauer) before (30 June 2025). IF you are interested in the position of Treasurer, you may request more details of the requirements from Eric Hilton. [Contact information can be found at www.ISHBH.com].

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(4)

Dodd, C. K. Jr. 2025. Herpetological Contributions of Charles Conrad Abbott, Eccentric 19^th Century Archeologist and Naturalist. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(4):28–34.

Charles Conrad Abbott (4 June 1843 – 27 July 1919) was a controversial figure in the emerging science of archeology in the late 19^th Century. He was not a major influence on herpetology, but he was certainly well-known among the naturalists and scientists of his day. Although he was primarily professionally interested in archeology, he communicated extensively with the naturalists of his era, including Frederic Ward Putnam, Edward D. Cope, and Henry W. Fowler. He was the first to attempt documentation of the vertebrates of New Jersey, and his natural history observations based on his own direct field notes were of interest and widely referred to by later authors. No doubt, his natural history books stimulated much interest in the subject, and his reliance on direct observation by-passed the many “nature-faker” writers of his day. Charles Conrad Abbott was viewed by colleagues as cantankerous, difficult-to-be-around, somewhat sloppy in technical fieldwork, lazy, and stubborn, but he was definitely a curious character and an influential writer and naturalist following his own path in life.

Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(3)

Shea, G. M. 2025. The Mysterious Doctor Rurk and His Eponymous Catskink, Ristella rurkii Gray 1839 (Squamata: Scincidae: Lygosominae: Ristellini) with Notes on Other Collectors for the Museum of the Army Medical Service at Chatham. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 19(3):12–27.

Ristella rurkii, although stated originally to be named after a “Dr Rurk”, was likely named after Dr. William Augustus Burke, the first Inspector-General of Hospitals in India, who collected for the Museum of the Army Medical Service at Fort Pitt, Chatham. Burke was mostly based in north India, corresponding to the type locality of R. rurkii, and to the localities for his bird collections. However, the skink is only known from the Western Ghats of far southern India. With the type no longer extant, a neotype is designated to stabilise nomenclature. Known natural history collectors for the Fort Pitt Museum, along with their British Army service postings, are tabulated.