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IGUANA  •  VOLUME 11, NUMBER 2  •  JUNE 2004 125BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

Although Prince Maximilian zu Wied-Neuwied had
previously explored the coastal regions of Brazil, zool-

ogist J.B. von Spix and botanist C.F.P. von Martius were
the first biologists to visit the interior. Johann Baptist von
Spix was born in Bavaria in 1781. Planning a career in the-
ology, he spent several years in seminaries, but, in 1804,
decided to pursue medicine at the University of
Würzburg, where he also studied natural history. After
graduating in 1806, he practiced medicine in Würzburg
and Bamberg, but, in 1811, became the first Curator of
Zoology at the Bavarian Academy of Science in Munich.

Correspondence with Alexander von Humboldt trig-
gered plans for a South American expedition. In 1817,
Spix and Martius began at Rio de Janeiro, moved inland,
crossed the coastal mountains, proceeded north through
the dry caatingas, and eventually traveled up the Amazon
River. The dangers, including violent encounters with
native tribes, were very real. In addition, Spix became quite
ill. Nevertheless, he continued to collect specimens and
record observations, primarily on animals, but also on the
native tribes he had encountered. The two Germans
departed from Belém, at the mouth of the Amazon, for
Europe in 1820.

Spix died in 1826 of complications from a disease
contracted during his trip to Brazil. However, in the period
between the trip and his untimely death, either alone or
with collaborators, he produced eight books on all of the
vertebrate classes plus molluscs and arthropods. Three of
the volumes addressed herpetological topics: Serpentum
(on snakes, but also including caecilians and amphisbae-
nians) was written by Spix’s assistant, J.B. Wagler, from
Spix’s notes and published in 1824; Testudinum et
Ranarum (on turtles and frogs) was written by Spix and
published in 1824; and Lacertarum (on lizards and croco-
diles) also was written by Spix and was published in 1825.
These volumes, profusely illustrated with hand-colored
prints, together with Wied-Neuwied’s works, provided the
foundation for the study of the rich Brazilian herpeto-
fauna.

Sources
Adler, K. 1989. Herpetologists of the Past, pp. 5–141. In: K. Adler (ed.),

Contributions to the History of Herpetology. Society for the Study of
Amphibians and Reptiles, Contributions to Herpetology, vol. 5.
Ithaca, New York.

Haines, S. 2000. Slithy Toves. Illustrated Classic Herpetological Books at the
University of Kansas in Pictures and Conversations. Society for the
Study of Amphibians and Reptiles in cooperation with the
Kenneth Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas,
Contributions to Herpetology, vol. 5. Ithaca, New York.

B I O G R A P H I C A L  S K E T C H

Johann Baptist von Spix

Lithograph of “IGUANA squamosa” (= Iguana iguana) by Philip
Schmid. This lithograph is in Lacertarum by J.B. Spix. An orig-
inal of this volume and the other herpetogical volumes based on
Spix’s travels to Brazil are in the Kenneth Spencer Research
Library at the University of Kansas. This lithograph was previ-
ously reproduced (in color) in Slithy Toves.

Johann Baptist von Spix. Illustration courtesy of Kraig Adler.