Doris Mable Cochran facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Doris Mable Cochran
Cochran measuring a turtle shell
Born	(1898-05-18)May 18, 1898 North Girard, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	May 22, 1968(1968-05-22) (aged 70) Hyattsville, Maryland
Alma mater	George Washington University University of Maryland, College Park Corcoran Art School
Known for	Study of reptiles, frogs
Awards	Distinguished Fellow of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists
Scientific career
Fields	Biology, herpetology
Institutions	United States Department of War, Smithsonian Institution
Doctoral advisor	Leonhard Hess Stejneger

Doris Mable Cochran (born May 18, 1898 – died May 22, 1968) was an American scientist. She studied reptiles and frogs, a field called herpetology. For many years, she worked at the famous Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.. She helped take care of their huge collection of animals.

About Doris Mable Cochran

Doris Mable Cochran was born in North Girard, Pennsylvania. She grew up in Washington, D.C. Her father moved there for his government job.

Early Life and Education

While studying at George Washington University, Doris worked for the War Department. She also became an assistant in the Herpetology Division. This division was at the United States National Museum.

A famous scientist named Leonhard Stejneger was in charge. But Doris was responsible for managing the reptile and amphibian collections. In 1927, she became an Assistant Curator. A curator is someone who manages a museum's collections. In 1942, she became an Associate Curator.

Doris earned her Ph.D. degree in 1933. She got it from the University of Maryland. Her special project was about the muscles of the blue crab. In 1956, she became the first woman Curator at the museum. She worked there until she retired in 1968. This was just after her 70th birthday.

Her Artistic Skills

Doris also studied at the Corcoran Art School. She became a very good artist. She used her art skills to draw scientific pictures. She made illustrations for her own books and for her friends' work.

Doris's Research and Books

Doris Cochran mostly studied reptiles and amphibians from the West Indies and South America. She was especially interested in Haiti. She wrote 90 scientific papers between 1922 and 1968. In these papers, she described many new types of animals. She found 8 new groups of animals (called genera). She also found 125 new species and subspecies.

During wartime, she wrote special booklets for the military. These booklets helped soldiers identify dangerous reptiles. Her 20 years of studying the West Indies led to a big book. It was called The Herpetology of Hispaniola, published in 1941. She visited Haiti twice to do her research. She worked with other scientists there, like Adolfo Lutz and his daughter, Bertha.

Her most popular book was Living Amphibians of the World. It came out in 1961. When she visited Brazil, she received a gift of 3,000 Brazilian frogs. She wrote about South American frogs in two books. These were Frogs of Southeastern Brazil (1954) and Frogs of Colombia (1970). The book about Colombian frogs was published after she passed away.

Honors and Recognition

Doris Cochran received many honors for her work. In 1962, she was chosen as a distinguished fellow. This was by the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. She was only the second person to get this honor. She had also been the first secretary for this society.

At least six different reptiles have been named after Doris Cochran. Four of these names are still used today. Some examples include:

• Aristelliger cochranae
• Gelanesaurus cochranae
• Sphaerodactylus cochranae
• Gongylosoma baliodeirus cochranae

Some of Her Published Works

• (1930). Cold-blooded vertebrates.
• (1934). Herpetological collections from the West Indies.
• (1941). The Herpetology of Hispaniola.
• (1954). Frogs of Southeastern Brazil.
• (1961). Living Amphibians of the World.
• (1970). Frogs of Colombia.

See also

In Spanish: Doris Mable Cochran para niños