author
1889–1978
A pioneering American herpetologist, he spent decades documenting reptiles and amphibians and helped expand scientific knowledge of species in the Philippines, Mexico, Costa Rica, and beyond.
Born in Missouri in 1889, he studied at the University of Kansas and went on to build a long career in herpetology, the study of reptiles and amphibians. Reliable biographical sources describe him as an American scientist whose fieldwork and taxonomic research made him a major figure in the subject.
His work ranged widely across the Philippines, Mexico, Costa Rica, and other regions, and archival material from the University of Kansas credits him with thousands of pages of scholarly publication. His 1975 memoir, Edward H. Taylor: Recollections of an Herpetologist, reflects both his scientific career and his years of field experience.
He died in 1978, leaving behind a body of research that continued to matter to later herpetologists. Accounts from scientific and regional herpetological organizations remember him not only for prolific publication, but also for helping blaze a path for future study in the field.