Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons

Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons
Born (1901-02-07)February 7, 1901
Pitermaritzburg
Died August 1, 1975(1975-08-01) (aged 74)
Pretoria
Fields Herpetology, Plant collector
Institutions Transvaal Museum, Namib Desert Research Station
Alma mater Rhodes University
Notes

Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons, born in Pietermaritzburg, was a notable herpetologist in South Africa. Also, he contributed to the collection of spermatophyte samples for the National Herbarium which has become part of the South African National Biodiversity Institute at the Pretoria National Botanical Garden.[2] In 1937, together with Anna Amelia Obermeyer, he collected some of the earliest plant specimens from the Eastern Highlands of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).

Later, as director of the Transvaal Museum, he together with Charles Koch[3] helped to establish the Namib Desert Research Institute in Gobabeb[2]

Family

Vivian FitzSimons came from a family of naturalists. His father, Frederick William FitzSimons, and his mother Patricia Henrietta (née Russell), both immigrated to South Africa from Ireland.[4]

His brother was Desmond Charles Fitzsimons, who in 1939 founded the Fitzsimons Snake Park (Durban) and was a leading distributor of snake antivenoms in South Africa.

Vivian FitzSimons attended the prestigious Grey High School in Port Elizabeth.

List of written works

Some of his writings include:

Notable posts


Species described

As a leading herpetologist at the Transvaal Museum, Vivian was involved in the original description of as many as 41 South African reptiles, including the following species.[5]

References

  1. http://www.ssarherps.org/pdf/HOH/HoH121.pdf
  2. 1 2 3 "FitzSimons, Vivian Frederick Maynard (1901-1975)". Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  3. "Vivian Fitzsimons". South African History Online (SAHO). Retrieved 16 October 2014.
  4. "South African History Online: Vivian Fitzsimons". Retrieved 27 February 2014.
  5. "The Reptile Database". Retrieved 17 October 2014.
  6. FitzSimons, V. F (1930). "Descriptions of new South African Reptilia and Batrachia, with distribution records of allied species in the Transvaal Museum collection". Annals of the Transvaal Museum 14: 20–48.

External Articles


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