Bibliotheca Herpetologica 17(7)

Caramaschi, U. and J. P. Pombal Jr. 2023. João Joaquim Pizarro (1842–1906), the first Brazilian to publish on anuran amphibians. Bibliotheca Herpetologica 17(7):56–66. Published August 7, 2023. The contribution of João Joaquim Pizarro (1842–1906), the first Brazilian to publish on anuran amphibians, is analysed. Working at the Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1876 Pizarro published “De um pequeno animal extremamente curioso e denominado Batrachychthis” [On an extremely curious little animal named Batrachychthys], looking for to defend the “doctrine of transformism, so ably sustained by professor Darwin.” The genus name Batrachychthys Pizarro, 1876, published without association to a species name, was based on a tadpole (deposited in the Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, MNRJ 76) from Potrero Pires (Paraguay). Currently, Batrachychthys Pizarro, 1876 is synonymized with Pseudis Wagler, 1830 and, since Pseudis platensis Gallardo, 1961 is considered a full species, the tadpole described as Batrachychthys belongs to this taxon.