Fermín Zanón Cervera facts for kids

Fermín Zanón Cervera (1875–1944) was a Spanish zoologist who made exciting discoveries, especially in Cuba. He was born in Godelleta, a town in Valencia, Spain. He became famous for finding new types of birds and insects.

Early Life and Work

Fermín Cervera first went to Cuba as a soldier during the Spanish–American War. After the war, he decided to stay in Cuba and joined the Civil Guard. Later, he followed his passion for nature and became a professional naturalist. He worked for the Cuban Ministry of Agriculture, where he was in charge of a large collection of insects. This job helped him learn a lot about different species.

Exploring Cuba's Wild Places

Cervera often worked with Thomas Barbour, an American scientist who studied reptiles and amphibians. Barbour heard stories about unusual birds living in the Zapata Swamp in Cuba. This swamp is a very wild and special place. Barbour then asked Cervera to go on several trips into this swamp to explore and find out more.

Amazing Bird Discoveries

During his trips to the Zapata Swamp, Fermín Cervera made incredible discoveries. He found three types of birds that no one had ever described scientifically before! He carefully collected these birds and sent them to Thomas Barbour, who then officially named and described them for the scientific world.

Two of these new birds were named in honor of Cervera:

• Zapata wren (Ferminia cerverai)
• Zapata rail (Cyanolimnas cerverai)

The third bird he discovered was the Zapata sparrow (Torreornis inexpectata). The Zapata wren, the Zapata rail, and one type of the Zapata sparrow are found only in the Zapata Swamp. This means they are endemic to that area, making them very unique and important. Cervera also found many new kinds of insects, especially a group called Neuroptera.

Later Life

In 1927, Fermín Cervera returned to his home country, Spain. He continued his work as an entomologist, a scientist who studies insects. He lived in his hometown of Godelleta until he passed away in 1944. His discoveries helped us learn more about the amazing wildlife of Cuba.

External links

• Image of Cervera and his Zapata birds at Birding Cuba

See also

In Spanish: Fermín Zanón Cervera para niños