- Idea of 'herps' began
- Best known for his Sysyema Naturae
- Binomial nomenclature (Genus species)
- Combined reptiles & amphibians
Carl Linnaeus
- Origin of species
- Natural selection observations on some reptiles
Charles Darwin
- "Darwin's bulldog" (stood up for Darwin)
- Noted the absurdity of excluding birds from the reptilia
Thomas Huxley
- 1st account of hers in the US
- 1 of the 1st herpetologists
John Edwards Holbrook
- Active describing species in the US, devoted field biologist
- 1 of the 1st 'oddball' professor types
Constantine Samuel Rafinesque
- Violin and a bat
James Audubon's
- Father of comparative anatomy
- Great tool for evolution (didn't believe) and organizing species
Baron Cuvier
- Protégé of Cuvier
- Ushered in the "scientific period" to the US
- "Contributions to the Natural History of the USA"
- Academic lineage
Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz
- Named over 1000 vertebrates; journal "Copeia" named after him
- "Bone wars": competition for fossil sites and publishing (Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh)
- Named a species after a combo of 'cope' and 'hater', Anisonchus cophater
Edgar Drinker Cope
- 'Amateur' herp, no scientific background
- Worked at San Diego Zoo
- Wrote The Book on Rattlesnakes
Laurence Klauber
Studies salamanders
David and Marvalee Wake
Studies snakes
Harry Greene
Studies lizards
Eric Pianka
Studies frogs
- KU, herp hotspot
William Duellman
Studied turtles
Archie Carr
Introduced millions to 'herping'
Steve Irwin
Research in every field imaginable
- Natural history/conservation
- Evolution
- Med. research
- Physiology
- Herpetoculture
Multiple journals specifically dedicated to herpetology