Hobart Muir Smith

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For the American musician, see Hobart Smith.

Hobart Muir Smith, born Frederick William Stouffer (September 26, 1912 – March 4, 2013),[1] was an American herpetologist. He is credited with describing more than 100 new species of American reptiles[2] and amphibians. In addition, he has been honored by having at least six species named after him, including the southwestern blackhead snake (Tantilla hobartsmithi), Smith's earth snake (Uropeltis grandis), Smith's arboreal alligator lizard (Abronia smithi), Hobart's anadia (Anadia hobarti), Hobart Smith's anole (Anolis hobartsmithi), and Smith's rose-bellied lizard (Sceloporus smithi).[3] At 100 years of age, Smith continued to be an active and productive herpetologist.[4] Although he published on a wide range of herpetological subjects, his main focus throughout his career was on the amphibians and reptiles of Mexico, including taxonomy, bibliographies, and history. Having published more than 1,600 manuscripts, he surpassed all contemporaries and remains the most published herpetologist of all time.[5][6]

Early life and education

Smith was born in

Sceloporus
. He also participated in several specimen collecting trips to Mexico.

Career

In 1936-37 Smith was awarded a

University of Colorado
. In 1972 he became chairman of, what is now, the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. In 1983 he retired, becoming a professor emeritus and continued his personal research with over 1,600 publications, including 29 books.

Personal life

Born Frederick William Stouffer in 1912, he was adopted in 1916 by Charles and Frances Smith, farmers. In 1938 he married Rozella Pearl Beverly Blood (who became Rozella Pearl Beverly Blood Smith, 1911–1987), who helped him publish his extensive collection of herpetological notes. In 1942 he named a species of lizard in honor of her, Celestus rozellae.[7] A subspecies of snake, Tantillita lintoni rozellae, is also named in honor of her.[7]

Selected bibliography

  • Smith, H. M. (1939). The Mexican and Central American Lizards of the Genus Sceloporus. Zoological Series, Field Museum of Natural History Vol. 26, No.1: 429 pp.
  • Smith, H. M., and E. H. Taylor (1945). An Annotated Checklist and Key to the Snakes of Mexico. United States National Museum, Bulletin 187: 1–239.
  • Smith, H. M. (1946). Handbook of Lizards: Lizards of the United States and of Canada. Comstock Publishing Associates, Cornell University Press. Ithaca, New York. xxi, 557 pp.[8] 1995 pbk.)
  • Smith, H. M., and E. H. Taylor (1948). An Annotated Checklist and Key to the Amphibia of Mexico. United States National Museum, Bulletin 194: 1–118.
  • Handbook of Amphibians and Reptiles of Kansas (1950).[9]
  • Smith, H. M., and E. H. Taylor (1950). An Annotated Checklist and Key to the Reptiles of Mexico Exclusive of Snakes. United States National Museum, Bulletin 199: 1–253.
  • Reptiles and Amphibians: A Guide to Familiar American Species with
    Herbert S. Zim
    (1953, 1956).
  • Reptiles and Amphibians - A Guide to Familiar American Species (1958).
  • Poisonous Amphibians and Reptiles (1959).
  • Smith, H. M. (1961). Evolution of Chordate Structure. Holt, Rinehart and Winston. 529 pp.
  • Snakes as Pets (1965).
  • Smith, H. M., and Rozella B. Smith (1969). Early Foundations of Mexican Herpetology: An annotated and indexed bibliography of the herpetological publications of Alfredo Dugés, 1826-1910. University of Illinois Press. Urbana, Illinois. 85 pp.
  • Smith, H. M. and Rozella B. Smith (1971). Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico, Vol. I. Analysis of the Literature on the Mexican Axolotl. Eric Lundburg. Augusta, West Virginia. xxvii, 245 pp.
  • Smith, H. M., and Rozella B. Smith (1973). Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico, Vol. II. Analysis of the Literature Exclusive of the Mexican Axolotl. Eric Lundburg. Augusta, West Virginia. xxxiii, 367 pp.
  • Smith, H. M., and Rozella B. Smith (1976). Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico, Vol. III, Source Analysis and Index for Mexican Reptiles. John Johnson, North Bennington, Vermont. 997 pp.
  • Smith, H. M., and Rozella B. Smith (1976). Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico, Vol. IV. Source Analysis and Index for Mexican Amphibians. John Johnson. North Bennington, Vermont. 254 pp.
    ISBN 0-910914-09-5
    .
  • Smith, H. M., and Rozella B. Smith (1977). Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico, Vol. V. Guide to Mexican Amphisbaenians and Crocodilians, Bibliographic Addenda II. John Johnson. North Bennington, Vermont. 187 pp.
    ISBN 0-910914-09-5
    .
  • Smith, H. M., and Rozella B. Smith (1979). Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico, Vol. VI, Guide to Mexican Turtles, Bibliographic Addendum III. John Johnson, North Bennington, Vermont. xviii, 1044 pp.
    ISBN 0-910914-11-7
    .
  • Smith, H. M., and Rozella B. Smith (1993). Synopsis of the Herpetofauna of Mexico, Vol. VII, Bibliographic Addendum IV and Index to Bibliographic Addenda II-IV 1979-1991. University Press of Colorado, Niwot, Colorado. ix, 1082 pp.
    ISBN 0-87081-284-X
    .
  • Smith, H. M., and
    ISBN 0-307-47009-1
    .
  • Smith, Hobart M., and
    ISBN 0965253503
    .
  • ISBN 970-9000-41-1
    .

References

  1. ^ "Hobart Muir Smith". The Guardian. 10 Mar 2013.
  2. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2334.1.3
    .
  3. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5
    . (Hobart, p. 124; Smith, H.M., p. 247).
  4. ^ Smith, Hobart M. (2012). "Some notes on the last hundred years and the next stages in the evolution of herpetology" (PDF). Herpetological Conservation and Biology. 7 (2): xi–xiv.
  5. ^ Bury, R. Bruce; Trauth, Stanley E. (2012). "Pioneer of herpetology at his century mark: Hobart M. Smith" (PDF). Herpetological Conservation and Biology. 7 (2): vii–viii.
  6. ^ Chiszar, David (2012). "Hobart M. Smith turns 100" (PDF). Herpetological Conservation and Biology. 7 (2): ix–x.
  7. ^
    ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5
    . (Rozella, p. 228).
  8. doi:10.1086/281486
    .
  9. JSTOR 20294
    .

External links
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