Norman Edouard Hartweg

Norman Edouard "Kibe" Hartweg (August 20, 1904 – February 16, 1964) was an American herpetologist, Curator of Herpetology for the Museum of Zoology at the University of Michigan, and president of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. He was a specialist in the taxonomy and distribution of turtles, and is honored by having a subspecies of turtle named after him: the western spiny softshell turtle, Apalone spinifera hartwegi.[1] He is also credited with having described several new species, including the Big Bend slider, Trachemys gaigeae, the Oaxacan patchnose snake, Salvadora intermedia, and Dunn's hognose pit viper, Porthidium dunni.[2]

The scientific exploits of Hartweg also led him to discover a corpse of a murdered lady in 1932, in an area that later became the Pymatuning Reservoir. The case was never solved.[3]

Career

Hartweg attained his doctorate at the University of Michigan in 1934[4] under the direction of Dr. Alexander Grant Ruthven[5] and became eventually a professor at the Department of Zoology.[4] In 1946 he became Curator of Herpetology at the Museum of Zoology.[5][4] In 1950 he became editor of herpetology for the periodical Copeia, and for 1960 he was elected president of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. He died on February 16, 1964 after a sudden illness.[3][1][6]

Legacy

Two species of amphibians are named after Hartweg: Hartweg's salamander, Bolitoglossa hartwegi; and Hartweg's spikethumb frog, Plectrohyla hartwegi.[7] Two subspecies of reptiles are named after him: the western spiny softshell turtle, Apalone spinifera hartwegi;[1][6] and Hartweg's emerald lizard, Sceloporus taeniocnemis hartwegi.[8]

References
  1. Ellin Beltz (15 January 2007). "Biographies". Scientific and Common Names of the Reptiles and Amphibians of North America - Explained. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  2. "Search results for "Author: Hartweg"". Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  3. Hilton, Don (7 September 2012). Murders, Mysteries and History of Crawford County, Pennsylvania 1800 – 1956. AuthorHouse. pp. 230–232. ISBN 978-1-4772-6615-1.
  4. "Memoir/Obituary: Norman Edouard Hartweg". Faculty History Project. University of Michigan. 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2017.
  5. Rogers, J. S. (1958). "The Museum of Zoology". The University of Michigan, an Encyclopedic Survey. UM Libraries. pp. 1512–1513. UOM:39015020573609.
  6. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (6 September 2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 381. ISBN 978-1-4214-0227-7.
  7. Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (22 April 2013). The Eponym Dictionary of Amphibians. Pelagic Publishing. p. 90. ISBN 978-1-907807-44-2.
  8. "Sceloporus taeniocnemis ". The Reptile Database. www.reptile-database.org.
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