You have got it right, its my Birthday today! I feel nostalgic that this birthday marks the end to my ‘teen’age and I should start behaving like a young lady from now on- mature, responsible and no-childishness. Well, it seems next to impossible right now and it has already started to worry me!
Nevertheless, I feel proud that I share my birthday with a great herpetologist, Richard Henry Beddome, who has discovered and described several species of reptiles, amphibians and plants. (I recently came to know about this and I feel just the way you would feel if you are a Bollywood fan and you share your birthday with the King of Bollywood, Shah Rukh Khan, himself!)
Apparently, Richard Henry Beddome was born on 11th of May in the year 1830. Born and brought up in England, he joined army and was sent to India regarding the East India Company’s service. In 1859, he was appointed as the Chief Conservator of the Forest Department of Madras Presidency and he remained in that post until 1882. During this period, he discovered and described several species of flora and fauna (reptiles and amphibians) and published his work in journals and research papers.
Some of the lizard species that Beddome had discovered in India are:
Gekkonidae Family:
- Gymnodactylus Nebulosus
- Gymnodactylus Collegalensus
- Gymnodactylus Jeyporensis
- Cnemaspis Wynadensis
- Cnemaspis Ornata
- Cnemaspis Gracilis
- Calodactylodes Aureus
- Hemidactylus Reticulatus
- Hemiphyllodactylus aurantiacus
Scindae Family:
- Sepsophis Punctatus
- Leiolopisma Travancoricum
- Chalcides Pentadactylus
- Ristella Travancorica
Lacertidae Family:
- Cabrita Jerdoni
Agamidae Family:
- Salea Anamallayana
Because of his significant contribution, many species of plants, reptiles and amphibians have been named in his honour. The species of lizards that have been named in his honour include:
- Cnemaspis Beddomei
- Scincella beddomei
- Ophisops beddomei
- Otocryptis beddomei
Henry Beddome retired in the year 1882 and bid farewell to the world in the year 1911. But his work still keeps him alive in the hearts of many!
Lizard Talk 