Adolph Reuss
German-American physician and zoologist / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Adolph Reuss (November 28, 1804, in Frankfurt am Main – May 7, 1878) was a German-American physician and zoologist, known for his work in the fields of herpetology and arachnology.
Adolph Reuss | |
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Born | November 28, 1804 |
Died | May 7, 1878(1878-05-07) (aged 73) |
Nationality | German-American |
Alma mater | University of Göttingen |
Occupation(s) | physician zoologist |
Organization | Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft |
He studied at the University of Göttingen, earning his medical doctorate in 1825. Following graduation, he served as a doctor in Frankfurt, also becoming involved with zoological research at the Senckenberg Museum. He later emigrated to the United States, where in 1834, he purchased a 200 acre farm near Shiloh, Illinois. In rural Illinois, he worked as a farmer, and in meantime, maintained a successful medical practice. At the time of his death, his estate had grown in size to 450 acres of land.[1]
Since 1829, he was a member of the Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft, and in September 1856, he became a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of St. Louis. While serving at the Senckenberg Museum in Frankfurt, he edited a collection of manuscripts in the field of arachnology that was a catalyst towards the first Senckenberg publication (Museum Senckenbergianum).[2]
He described a number of herpetological species, such as Enhydris alternans, sometimes referred to as "Reuss' water snake".[3]