George Albert Boulenger facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Albert Boulenger
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| Born | 19 October 1858 Brussels, Belgium
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| Died | 23 November 1937 (aged 79) Saint Malo, France
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| Nationality | Belgian, British |
| Alma mater | Free University of Brussels |
| Known for | Monographs on fishes, amphibians, and reptiles |
| Children | Edward George Boulenger |
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| Awards | Fellow of the Royal Society, Order of Leopold (Belgium) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Zoology, botany |
| Institutions | Natural History Museum, London |
| Author abbrev. (botany) | Boulenger |
| Author abbrev. (zoology) | Boulenger |
George Albert Boulenger (born October 19, 1858 – died November 23, 1937) was a famous Belgian-British zoologist. He was an expert in describing and naming new animal species. He gave scientific names to over 2,000 different kinds of animals. Most of these were fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Later in his life, Boulenger also became an active botanist, especially studying roses.
Contents
A Life of Discovery
Early Life and Education
George Boulenger was born in Brussels, Belgium. He was the only son of Gustave Boulenger and Juliette Piérart. In 1876, he graduated from the Free University of Brussels. He earned a degree in natural sciences.
After graduating, he worked at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels. There, he was an assistant naturalist. He focused on studying amphibians, reptiles, and fishes. During this time, he often visited big museums. These included the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle in Paris and the British Museum in London.
Working at the Museum
In 1880, Dr. Albert Günther invited Boulenger to work at the Natural History Museum. This museum was then part of the British Museum. Boulenger's job was to list all the amphibians in the museum's collection. To work there, he had to become a British citizen. So, he became a naturalized British subject.
By 1882, he was promoted to a first-class assistant in the Department of Zoology. He stayed in this important role until he retired in 1920.
Retirement and Hobbies
After retiring from the museum, Boulenger didn't stop working. He started studying roses! He wrote 34 papers about plants and two books about the roses of Europe. He passed away in Saint Malo, France.
People who knew Boulenger said he was very organized. He had an amazing memory. He could remember every animal specimen and scientific name he had ever seen. He was also a fantastic writer. He rarely needed to write a second draft of anything. His writings usually went straight to the publisher with very few changes.
Boulenger was also a talented musician. He played the violin. He could speak French, German, and English. He could also read Spanish, Italian, and a little Russian. As a zoologist, he knew both Greek and Latin. This helped him understand scientific names.
His Amazing Work
By 1921, Boulenger had written 875 scientific papers. These papers totaled more than 5,000 pages! He also wrote 19 large books called monographs. These books were about fishes, amphibians, and reptiles. A list of all his publications and the species he named fills 77 printed pages.
He described 1,096 species of fish. He also named 556 species of amphibians and 872 species of reptiles. He was especially famous for his books on amphibians, lizards, and other reptiles. He also wrote important books on the fishes of Africa.
He was a member of the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. In 1935, he was chosen as its first honorary member. In 1937, Belgium gave him the Order of Leopold. This is the highest award a civilian can receive in Belgium.
His son, Edward George Boulenger, also became a zoologist. He was the director of the London Zoo Aquarium.
Discovering Cave Fish
In 1897, King Leopold II of Belgium wanted to create a museum for the Congo. He asked naturalists to help. Boulenger was chosen to lead this project.
One of his most interesting discoveries happened in 1921. He found a very strange fish from the Congo. This fish had no eyes and no color. He realized it was a new species. It was different from any other fish found on the surface. He wrote a short paper describing this new cave fish. It was the first cave fish ever found in Africa!
He named it Caecobarbus geertsii. "Caeco" means blind, and "barbus" refers to a type of fish called a barb. "Geertsii" honored a person named M. Geerts, who gave him the fish specimen. Today, this fish is known as the Congo or African blind barb.
Honours and Recognition
- 1912: George Boulenger became a member of the Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium.
Species Named After Him
George Boulenger described hundreds of reptile species. Today, 587 of the species he described are still recognized. He also described many amphibians and fishes.
Many species have been named in his honor. Their scientific names include boulengeri, boulengerianus, boulengerii, or georgeboulengeri. This shows how important his work was.
Here are a few examples of reptiles named after him:
- Agama boulengeri – Boulenger's agama
- Atractaspis boulengeri – Boulenger's burrowing asp
- Chalcides boulengeri – Boulenger's sand skink
- Gonyosoma boulengeri – rhinoceros ratsnake
- Rhampholeon boulengeri – Boulenger's pygmy chameleon
The water cobra genus Boulengerina was also named for George Boulenger. It is now considered a subgenus of Naja. It includes species like the water cobra and the Congo water cobra.
Some fish species named after Boulenger include:
- The catfish Heterobranchus boulengeri
- Hyphessobrybon boulengeri
- Lepidiolamprologus boulengeri
Botany Work
Images for kids
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Cover of the book The Snakes of Europe
See also
In Spanish: George Albert Boulenger para niños
