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Gaston-François de Witte

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Gaston-François de Witte (12 June 1897, Antwerp – 1 June 1980, Brussels) was a Belgian herpetologist who discovered and described at least 24 different species of reptiles.[1]

During his career, he was associated with the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren (from 1920) and the Museum of Natural Sciences in Brussels (from 1937). He is best known for his research of amphibians and reptiles found in the Belgian Congo, from where he collected thousands of specimens. While in central Africa, he also collected botanical specimens.[2]

Eponymy

  • "Witte's five-toed skink", Leptosiaphos dewittei, circumscribed by Arthur Loveridge in 1934.
  • "Witte's spider gecko", Agamura misonnei, synonymous with Rhinogecko misonnei (Misonne's spider gecko).[3][4]

Selected works

  • Batraciens et reptiles, 1930.
  • Revision d'un groupe de Colubridae africains. Genres Calamelaps, Miodon, Aparallactus et formes affines, 1947.
  • Amphibiens et reptiles, 1948.
  • Genera des serpents du Congo et du Ruanda-Urundi, 1962 – Genera of snakes of the Congo and Ruanda-Urundi.
  • Les caméléons de l'Afrique centrale : république démocratique du Congo, République du Rwanda et Royaume du Burundi. 1965 – Chameleons of central Africa; the Democratic Republic of the Congo. the Republic of Rwanda and the Kingdom of Burundi.[5]

References

  1. ^ De Witte in the Reptile Database
  2. ^ Gaston François de Witte Zürich Herbaria, University of Zurich
  3. ^ The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles by Bo Beolens, Michael Watkins, Michael Grayson
  4. ^ IUCN Redlist Rhinogecko misonnei
  5. ^ OCLC Classify (published works)