One of the reasons for his popularity was his "obsession" with keeping large, exotic, sexy, venomous snakes-such as Bushmasters-in captivity, an endeavor on which the press regularly reported. President Theodore Roosevelt praised Ditmars's The Reptile Book and invited him to the White House. Eighty years ago, he was a household name in New York, enjoying a celebrity attained by few herpetologists. Ditmars authored 24 books, >200 articles, and pioneered nature films in an era when video technology was still in its infancy. If you're interested in Bushmasters and herpetological history, check out Dan Eatherley's new book, "Bushmaster: Raymond Ditmars and the Hunt for the World's Largest Viper", which chronicles the life and times of the Bronx Zoo's first reptile curator and one of America's first and most successful popular herpetological writers. Ditmars filming the Bushmaster "Lecky" at the Bronx Zoo in 1934
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |