Leonhard Hess Stejneger

Leonhard Hess Stejneger ( born October 30, 1851 in Bergen, † February 28, 1943 in Washington DC) was an American zoologist Norwegian descent.

Life

Leonhard Hess Stejneger was born as the eldest child of seven siblings in Bergen. He studied law and philosophy at the University of Oslo and, after receiving his doctorate in 1875 for a short time as a lawyer. However, his passion was Zoology. Four years before his graduation, he published his first publications.

In 1881 he emigrated with his family to the United States and worked at the Smithsonian Institution under Spencer Fullerton Baird. At first he worked as an assistant manager for birds from 1884 to 1889 and then took over the stewardship of reptiles and amphibians. In 1887 he got the U.S. citizenship. From 1911 until his death he was chairman administrator of biology.

Travels

In addition to his work at the Smithsonian Institution, he undertook a number of expeditions to the north of the North American continent. From 1882 to 1883 he studied on behalf of the U.S. Fish Commission on the Commander Islands eared seals. Twice he traveled to these islands; 1895 (again, on behalf of the U.S. Fish Commission) and 1922. Together with Clinton Hart Merriam 1889 he collected amphibians and reptiles in Arizona.

Works

The catalog of works by Leonhard Hess Stejneger includes more than 400 scientific papers, including on birds, reptiles, seals and the herpetology of Puerto Rico and Japan, as well as a biography of German physician and naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller, of the Stejneger was fascinated. In addition to his works, he described numerous animals scientifically.