Yehudah L. Werner | |
---|---|
Born | Yehudah Leopold Werner 1931 (age 92–93) |
Nationality | Israeli |
Scientific career | |
Fields | Herpetology |
Institutions | Hebrew University of Jerusalem |
Yehudah Leopold Werner (born 1931 in Munich) is an Israeli herpetologist and Professor Emeritus at the Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (Department of Evolution, Systematics and Ecology).
He and his parents were forced to flee from Nazi Germany in 1933, and reached Palestine via France and England in 1935. Georg Haas (1905–1981), an emigrant from Austria who was Professor in Jerusalem, [1] guided his PhD at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. During his long scientific career, Werner published more than 400 titles. Among other things, the biology of the geckos, including their vocal communication, as well as the zoogeography and conservation of the reptiles and amphibians in the Middle East are his main themes. Werner was a co-founder of the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel and served as chairperson of the Zoological Society of Israel.
Yehudah Werner described or redescribed (alone or with co-authors) a number of amphibian and reptile taxa:
Note: Amphibian and reptile taxa with the author's name "Werner" described between 1893 and 1938 are by the Austrian zoologist Franz Werner.
Yehudah Werner is commemorated in the scientific names of two reptiles: [13]
Acanthodactylus is a genus of lacertid lizards, commonly referred to as fringe-fingered lizards, fringe-toed lizards, and spiny-toed lizards.
Cerastes gasperettii, also known commonly as the Arabian horned viper and Gasperetti's horned viper, is a species of venomous snake in the subfamily Viperinae of the family Viperidae. The species is native to the Arabian Peninsula and north to Palestine (region), Iraq, and Iran. It is very similar in appearance to C. cerastes, but the geographic ranges of these two species do not overlap. No subspecies of C. gasperettii are recognized.
Acanthodactylus ahmaddisii, also known commonly as the Jordanian fringe-fingered lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae.
The Be'er Sheva fringe-fingered lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. It is a member of the subfamily Lacertinae, and the genus Acanthodactylus. Considered a separate species based on morphological distinction and isolated location, it shares a large portion of its genetics with Acanthodactylus pardalis in this genus. Many of the individual species in this genus are similar, but varying coloration explains why each species has been separated. Like all Acanthodactylus, A. beershebensis lays eggs, varying from three to seven eggs at a time. Adults vary in size from 17 to 20 cm, but can get much larger. The species is endemic to the loess scrublands of the Negev desert in Israel and the Palestinian Territories, a biodiversity hotspot.
The leopard fringe-fingered lizard, also known commonly as the Egyptian fringe-fingered lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to North Africa.
Schreiber's fringe-fingered lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Middle East.
Doumergue's fringe-fingered lizard, also known commonly as Doumergue's fringe-toed lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae.
Mesalina bahaeldini is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is found in Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Bosc's fringe-toed lizard or Bosk's [sic] fringe-fingered lizard is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to North Africa and Western Asia. Three subspecies are sometimes recognised; A. boskianus boskianus, from Lower Egypt; A. boskianus euphraticus from Iraq; and A. boskianus asper from the rest of the range; however this division is unsatisfactory because each subspecies has much variation and the differences between them are not consistent.
Ptyodactylus puiseuxi, common names Israeli fan-fingered gecko and Syrian fan-fingered gecko, is a species of lizard in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to the Middle East.
Acanthodactylus busacki, called commonly Busack's fringe-fingered lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to northwestern Africa.
Acanthodactylus opheodurus, also known commonly as Arnold's fringe-fingered lizard or the snake-tailed fringe-toed lizard, is a species of lizard in the family Lacertidae. The species is endemic to the Middle East.
Asaccus nasrullahi, Nasrullah's leaf-toed gecko, is a species of gecko in the family Phyllodactylidae. The species is endemic to Iran. The specific name nasrullahi was chosen in honor of Iranian herpetologist Nasrullah Rastegar-Pouyani, "in recognition of his contribution to the knowledge of the herpetology of Iran, including the genus Asaccus".
Edwin Nicholas Arnold was a British herpetologist and the Curator of Herpetology at the Natural History Museum, London. Arnold made seminal contributions to the herpetology of Europe and North Africa, especially on geckos and lizards of the family Lacertidae. He discovered and described 36 species and 4 subspecies of reptiles, and wrote A Field Guide to the Reptiles and Amphibians of Britain and Europe, which appeared over multiple editions. Arnold died of heart failure on 23 September 2023, at the age of 82.