Leopold Fitzinger

Leopold Joseph Franz Johann Fitzinger is a Austrian zoologist , born the April 13rd 1802 with Vienna and dead the September 20th 1884 with Hietzing close to Vienna.

It is impassioned for the Natural history and particularly the Plante S as of its young age. He becomes apprentice at a Pharmacien at the 14 years age. He starts to attend the university of Vienna where he follows the courses of Botanique of Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin but he stops his studies as of 1817. He becomes then assisting in the natural history museum of natural history of the city, directed by the brother-in-law of Jacquin, Carl Franz Anton Ritter von Schreibers (1775-1852). He works there during 27 years, until in 1844. He occupies himself, until in 1835 Vertébré S inferiors but adds the Mammifère S to his functions in 1835.

In recognition of its work, it obtains a title of honorary doctor in the universities of Königsberg (1833) and Halle (Saxony-Anhalt) (1834). It leaves the museum in 1861 and directs during a few years the zoo S of Munich and Budapest.

Fitzinger works on a broad spectrum of animals. In 1826, it makes appear Neue Classification der Reptilien , test of classification of the species S partly based on work of his/her friends Friedrich Wilhelm Hemprich (1796-1825) and Heinrich Boie (1794-1827). In 1843, it makes appear Systema Reptilium which covers in fact only the Gecko S, the chameleon S and the Iguane S.

It publishes, in 1864, a very popular atlas world of the reptiles and Amphibians including/understanding 108 splendid boards.

It is influenced by philosopher-naturalists, like Lorenz Oken (1779-1851), Johann Baptist von Spix (1781-1826) and Johann Jakob Kaup (1803-1873) and is persuaded that the diversity of the organizations corresponds to a preestablished order which is repeated invariably. For Fitzinger, numbers 3 and 5 must be found in the organization of classification. It thus chooses its categories so that they correspond to this diagram. It is for this reason, that he is opposed to the ideas developed by Charles Darwin

In spite of this very artificial aspect, many kinds and species which he invented were preserved until today.

Publications

Fitzinger L., 1826, Neue Classification der Reptilien , Heubner, Vienna, 128 p.

Source

Kraig Adler (1989). Contributions to the History off Herpetology , Society for the study off amphibians and reptiles.

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