Joseph Bruno Slowinski
Encyclopedia
Joseph Bruno "Joe" Slowinski, Ph.D (November 15, 1962-September 12, 2001) was an American
herpetologist
who worked extensively with elapid snake
s.
He was born on November 15, 1962 in New York City
, New York
. He attained his bachelor's degree in biology
from the University of Kansas
in 1984 and went on to receive his Ph.D at the University of Miami
in 1991, studying under renowned herpetologist Dr. Jay M. Savage. He performed post doctoral work at the National Museum of Natural History
and Louisiana State University
, eventually taking a position as a professor of biology at Southeastern Louisiana University
.
Joe Slowinski was a co-founder of the first online herpetological journal, Contemporary Herpetology
, and served as its editor-in-chief. He was also the curator for the department of herpetology for the California Academy of Sciences
. His primary area of research was venomous snakes, having written some 40 peer reviewed articles and one book.
In September, 2001, while doing research deep in an isolated region of Myanmar
, Dr. Slowinski was bitten by a juvenile multi-banded krait (Bungarus multicinctus
). He died 29 and a half hours later after several failed attempts to procure medical attention. The weather of that night was particularly bad, preventing a helicopter from transporting Slowinski to a hospital, and making it impossible to carry medical supplies to the campsite.
A biography was written in 2008 by Jamie James about the life and death of Slowinski, titled 'The Snake Charmer'.
There have been three species named for Slowinski: A species of North American corn snake (Pantherophis slowinskii), a species of bent-toed gecko native to Myanmar (Cyrtodactylus slowinskii), and a new species of krait native to Vietnam (Bungarus slowinskii)
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...
who worked extensively with elapid snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s.
He was born on November 15, 1962 in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He attained his bachelor's degree in biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
from the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in 1984 and went on to receive his Ph.D at the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
in 1991, studying under renowned herpetologist Dr. Jay M. Savage. He performed post doctoral work at the National Museum of Natural History
National Museum of Natural History
The National Museum of Natural History is a natural history museum administered by the Smithsonian Institution, located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., United States. Admission is free and the museum is open 364 days a year....
and Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
, eventually taking a position as a professor of biology at Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University is a state-funded public university in Hammond, Louisiana, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims, the principal of Hammond High School, as Hammond Junior College, located in a wing of the high school building. Sims succeeded in getting the campus...
.
Joe Slowinski was a co-founder of the first online herpetological journal, Contemporary Herpetology
Contemporary Herpetology
Contemporary Herpetology is a non-profit, electronic, peer-reviewed journal for articles of a herpetological interest, including biology, ecology, physiology, conservation of reptiles and amphibians. It was co-founded in 1997 by Joseph B. Slowinski, Travis W. Taggart, Jeffery Demuth, and Brian I....
, and served as its editor-in-chief. He was also the curator for the department of herpetology for the California Academy of Sciences
California Academy of Sciences
The California Academy of Sciences is among the largest museums of natural history in the world. The academy began in 1853 as a learned society and still carries out a large amount of original research, with exhibits and education becoming significant endeavors of the museum during the twentieth...
. His primary area of research was venomous snakes, having written some 40 peer reviewed articles and one book.
In September, 2001, while doing research deep in an isolated region of Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, Dr. Slowinski was bitten by a juvenile multi-banded krait (Bungarus multicinctus
Bungarus multicinctus
The Many-banded krait , also known as the Taiwanese krait or the Chinese krait, is a species of the genus Bungarus found predominantly in mainland China and Taiwan.-Geographic range and habitat:...
). He died 29 and a half hours later after several failed attempts to procure medical attention. The weather of that night was particularly bad, preventing a helicopter from transporting Slowinski to a hospital, and making it impossible to carry medical supplies to the campsite.
A biography was written in 2008 by Jamie James about the life and death of Slowinski, titled 'The Snake Charmer'.
There have been three species named for Slowinski: A species of North American corn snake (Pantherophis slowinskii), a species of bent-toed gecko native to Myanmar (Cyrtodactylus slowinskii), and a new species of krait native to Vietnam (Bungarus slowinskii)
External links
- Striking Beauties: Venomous Snakes at California Wild. Accessed 27 July 2007.
- In Memory of Joseph Slowinski 1962-2001 at Dr. Mark W. Moffett's website. Accessed 27 July 2007.
- Bit (mirror of article by Dr. Mark W. Moffett from the April 2002 issue of Outside Magazine) at Jacq.org. Accessed 27 July 2007.