Israel Aharoni
Encyclopedia
Israel Aharoni(1946 – 1882) was a zoologist in Ottoman
and British Palestine widely known as the "first Hebrew
zoologist
." Aharoni discovered 30 previously unknown species of animals, insects and birds, and is credited with giving them Hebrew names.
Aharoni is best known for collecting a litter of Syrian hamsters on an expedition to Aleppo
, Syria
. The hamsters were bred as laboratory animals in Jerusalem, but some escaped through a hole in the floor. The majority of hamsters in Israel
today are thus said to be descended from this one litter.
), and went to school in Prague
. He immigrated to Palestine, which was then under Turkish rule, and his early zoological expeditions took place under the protection of the local Sultan, for whom he obtained butterfly
specimens. Many of his collected specimens can still be viewed at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
, a parasitologist
who was looking for an easily breedable alternative to the Chinese hamster
for research on the disease Leishmaniasis
. Syrian hamsters had been discovered and named by George Robert Waterhouse
in 1839 but had not been sighted since. Together with a Syria
n guide named Georgius Khalil Tah'an, Aharoni managed to discover a nest
containing a female and eleven young in the Aleppo
region. However, cannibalism
of one of the litter by the mother, and the subsequent death of the mother, meant that Aharoni had to hand-rear the pups during the journey back. The four that made it were bred successfully and used extensively in laboratories, before being introduced to the pet market in the 1940s.
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
and British Palestine widely known as the "first Hebrew
Hebrews
Hebrews is an ethnonym used in the Hebrew Bible...
zoologist
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
." Aharoni discovered 30 previously unknown species of animals, insects and birds, and is credited with giving them Hebrew names.
Aharoni is best known for collecting a litter of Syrian hamsters on an expedition to Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
. The hamsters were bred as laboratory animals in Jerusalem, but some escaped through a hole in the floor. The majority of hamsters in Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
today are thus said to be descended from this one litter.
Biography
Israel Aharoni was born in Widze In the Russian Empire (now Vidzy, BelarusBelarus
Belarus , officially the Republic of Belarus, is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered clockwise by Russia to the northeast, Ukraine to the south, Poland to the west, and Lithuania and Latvia to the northwest. Its capital is Minsk; other major cities include Brest, Grodno , Gomel ,...
), and went to school in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
. He immigrated to Palestine, which was then under Turkish rule, and his early zoological expeditions took place under the protection of the local Sultan, for whom he obtained butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
specimens. Many of his collected specimens can still be viewed at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem ; ; abbreviated HUJI) is Israel's second-oldest university, after the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The Hebrew University has three campuses in Jerusalem and one in Rehovot. The world's largest Jewish studies library is located on its Edmond J...
Syrian hamsters
In 1930, Aharoni set off to look for Syrian hamsters at the request of his colleague Saul AdlerSaul Adler
Saul Adler FRS was an Israeli expert on Parasitology.-Early life:Adler was born in 1895 in Kerelits , then in the Russian Empire, now in Belarus. In 1900, he and his family moved to England and they settled in Leeds...
, a parasitologist
Parasitology
Parasitology is the study of parasites, their hosts, and the relationship between them. As a biological discipline, the scope of parasitology is not determined by the organism or environment in question, but by their way of life...
who was looking for an easily breedable alternative to the Chinese hamster
Chinese hamster
The Chinese hamster , is a species of hamster originating from the deserts of northern China and Mongolia.- Description :...
for research on the disease Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis
Leishmaniasis is a disease caused by protozoan parasites that belong to the genus Leishmania and is transmitted by the bite of certain species of sand fly...
. Syrian hamsters had been discovered and named by George Robert Waterhouse
George Robert Waterhouse
George Robert Waterhouse was an English naturalist.In 1833, Waterhouse was elected as the Royal Entomological Society of London's librarian and curator of insects and records....
in 1839 but had not been sighted since. Together with a Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
n guide named Georgius Khalil Tah'an, Aharoni managed to discover a nest
Nest
A nest is a place of refuge to hold an animal's eggs or provide a place to live or raise offspring. They are usually made of some organic material such as twigs, grass, and leaves; or may simply be a depression in the ground, or a hole in a tree, rock or building...
containing a female and eleven young in the Aleppo
Aleppo
Aleppo is the largest city in Syria and the capital of Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. With an official population of 2,301,570 , expanding to over 2.5 million in the metropolitan area, it is also one of the largest cities in the Levant...
region. However, cannibalism
Cannibalism
Cannibalism is the act or practice of humans eating the flesh of other human beings. It is also called anthropophagy...
of one of the litter by the mother, and the subsequent death of the mother, meant that Aharoni had to hand-rear the pups during the journey back. The four that made it were bred successfully and used extensively in laboratories, before being introduced to the pet market in the 1940s.