Charles Mitchill Bogert
Encyclopedia
Charles Mitchill Bogert was an American
herpetologist
, and curator of herpetology and researcher for the American Museum of Natural History
.
, Bogert was a technician at the Division of Nature Study for the Los Angeles City Schools in California
, a guide at Rocky Mountain National Park
and a forest ranger for the US National Park Service
at the Grand Canyon National Park
before attaining his bachelor and master of arts at the University of California, Los Angeles
.
for the Field Museum of Natural History
. In 1941, he was elected vice president of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
.
, and became chairman and curator for the department of herpetology at the American Museum of Natural History. In 1946 he was appointed the first president of the Herpetologist's League by the league's founder Chapman Grant
. From 1948 until 1950 he travelled to Central America to conduct research in Honduras
, Nicaragua
, Costa Rica
and Bimini Island off the Bahamas.
In 1949, he published Thermoregulation in Reptiles, a Factor in Evolution in Evolution
. In 1950, he became an instructor at the University of Virginia
, and undertook numerous trips to the southwestern United States to do research. In 1952, he was elected president of the American Society Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, which he served as until 1954. In 1953, he underwent an extensive study of frog
vocalizations in the Chiricahua Mountains
of Arizona
, and released a series of records entitled Sounds of the American Southwest and Sounds of the North American Frogs, as well as a recording of Mexican folk music.
for a year's research. In 1960, he became a lecturer at the University of Colorado
, and began an extensive study of the Oaxaca
region of Mexico. In 1966, he was given an honorary LLD from UCLA. In 1978, he became a consultant at the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park for a year. Afterwards he continued to travel and conduct further studies, until his death in 1992 in his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico
.
species
named after him, including the Western Banded Gecko, Coleonyx variegatus bogerti, and the genus
of rat snake
s, Bogertophis
. He travelled extensively and conducted research throughout most of the United States, Mexico
, Central America
, and Sri Lanka
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
herpetologist
Herpetology
Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles...
, and curator of herpetology and researcher for the American Museum of Natural History
American Museum of Natural History
The American Museum of Natural History , located on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City, United States, is one of the largest and most celebrated museums in the world...
.
Early life and education
Born in Mesa, ColoradoMesa County, Colorado
Mesa County is the fourth most extensive and the eleventh most populous of the 64 counties of the state of Colorado in the United States. The county was named for the many large mesas in the area, including Grand Mesa. The county population was 146,723 at the 2010 United States Census. The...
, Bogert was a technician at the Division of Nature Study for the Los Angeles City Schools in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, a guide at Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park
Rocky Mountain National Park is a national park located in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Colorado.It features majestic mountain views, a variety of wildlife, varied climates and environments—from wooded forests to mountain tundra—and easy access to back-country trails...
and a forest ranger for the US National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
at the Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon National Park is the United States' 15th oldest national park and is located in Arizona. Within the park lies the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the Wonders of the World. The park covers of unincorporated area in Coconino and Mohave counties.Most...
before attaining his bachelor and master of arts at the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
.
Assistant curator
From 1936 to 1940 he was the assistant curator of herpetology for the American Museum of Natural History. In the late 1930s and early 1940s, with a grant from the Carnegie Corporation he participated in several surveys of various states in Mexico. Including one with Karl Patterson SchmidtKarl Patterson Schmidt
Karl Patterson Schmidt was an American herpetologist.-Biography:Schmidt was the son of George W. Schmidt and Margaret Patterson Schmidt. Schmidt's father was a German professor who, at the time of Schmidt's birth, was teaching in Lake Forest, Illinois. His family left the city in 1907 and settled...
for the Field Museum of Natural History
Field Museum of Natural History
The Field Museum of Natural History is located in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It sits on Lake Shore Drive next to Lake Michigan, part of a scenic complex known as the Museum Campus Chicago...
. In 1941, he was elected vice president of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
The American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists is an international organization devoted to the scientific studies of ichthyology and herpetology...
.
Research work
In 1944 he undertook a study on the body temperature of lizards and alligators in FloridaFlorida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, and became chairman and curator for the department of herpetology at the American Museum of Natural History. In 1946 he was appointed the first president of the Herpetologist's League by the league's founder Chapman Grant
Chapman Grant
Chapman Grant was an American herpetologist, historian, and publisher. He was the last living grandson of United States President Ulysses S. Grant...
. From 1948 until 1950 he travelled to Central America to conduct research in Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
and Bimini Island off the Bahamas.
In 1949, he published Thermoregulation in Reptiles, a Factor in Evolution in Evolution
Evolution (journal)
Evolution, the International Journal of Organic Evolution, is a leading monthly scientific journal that publishes significant new results of empirical or theoretical investigations concerning facts, processes, mechanics, or concepts of evolutionary phenomena and events. Evolution is published by...
. In 1950, he became an instructor at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, and undertook numerous trips to the southwestern United States to do research. In 1952, he was elected president of the American Society Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, which he served as until 1954. In 1953, he underwent an extensive study of frog
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
vocalizations in the Chiricahua Mountains
Chiricahua Mountains
The Chiricahua Mountains are a mountain range in southeastern Arizona which are part of the Basin and Range province of the southwest, and part of the Coronado National Forest...
of Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
, and released a series of records entitled Sounds of the American Southwest and Sounds of the North American Frogs, as well as a recording of Mexican folk music.
Academic life
In 1955, he was awarded a Guggenheim FellowshipGuggenheim Fellowship
Guggenheim Fellowships are American grants that have been awarded annually since 1925 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those "who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts." Each year, the foundation makes...
for a year's research. In 1960, he became a lecturer at the University of Colorado
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
, and began an extensive study of the Oaxaca
Oaxaca
Oaxaca , , officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Oaxaca is one of the 31 states which, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided into 571 municipalities; of which 418 are governed by the system of customs and traditions...
region of Mexico. In 1966, he was given an honorary LLD from UCLA. In 1978, he became a consultant at the Los Alamos National Environmental Research Park for a year. Afterwards he continued to travel and conduct further studies, until his death in 1992 in his home in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
.
Honours
He is honored by having several reptileReptile
Reptiles are members of a class of air-breathing, ectothermic vertebrates which are characterized by laying shelled eggs , and having skin covered in scales and/or scutes. They are tetrapods, either having four limbs or being descended from four-limbed ancestors...
species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
named after him, including the Western Banded Gecko, Coleonyx variegatus bogerti, and the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of rat snake
Rat snake
Rat snakes are medium to large constrictors that can be found through a great portion of the northern hemisphere. They feed primarily on rodents and birds and, with some species exceeding 3 m , they can occupy top levels of some food chains. Many species make attractive and docile pets and one,...
s, Bogertophis
Bogertophis
Bogertophis is a genus of New World rat snakes found in the southwestern United States and into northern Mexico. There are two accepted species...
. He travelled extensively and conducted research throughout most of the United States, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.