author
Henry S. (Henry Sheldon) Fitch
1909–2009
A pioneering American herpetologist, he spent decades patiently observing snakes, lizards, and other wildlife in the field, helping shape modern reptile ecology. His long-term studies at the University of Kansas made him a respected figure among naturalists and biologists alike.
9 Audiobooks
Observations on the Mississippi Kite in Southwestern Kansas
by Henry S. (Henry Sheldon) Fitch
The Forest Habitat of the University of Kansas Natural History Reservation
by Henry S. (Henry Sheldon) Fitch, Ronald L. McGregor
Occurrence of the Garter Snake, Thamnophis sirtalis, in the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains
by Henry S. (Henry Sheldon) Fitch, T. Paul Maslin
Ecology of the Opossum on a Natural Area in Northeastern Kansas
by Henry S. (Henry Sheldon) Fitch, Lewis L. Sandidge
A Field Study of the Kansas Ant-Eating Frog, Gastrophryne olivacea
by Henry S. (Henry Sheldon) Fitch
Aspects of Reproduction and Development in the Prairie Vole (Microtus ochrogaster)
by Henry S. (Henry Sheldon) Fitch
Ecological Observations on the Woodrat, Neotoma floridana
by Henry S. (Henry Sheldon) Fitch, Dennis G. Rainey
Life History and Ecology of the Five-Lined Skink, Eumeces fasciatus
by Henry S. (Henry Sheldon) Fitch
Natural History of the Racer Coluber constrictor
by Henry S. (Henry Sheldon) Fitch
About the author
Born in Utica, New York, on December 25, 1909, he grew up in Oregon, where an early fascination with reptiles and the outdoors set the direction for his life’s work. He went on to become one of the best-known field naturalists in American herpetology.
Much of his career was tied to the University of Kansas, where he worked at the Natural History Reservation and carried out remarkably detailed, long-running studies of reptiles, amphibians, and other animals. He became especially well known for research on snake ecology and for the kind of patient, careful observation that can only come from years in the field.
He died on September 8, 2009, just short of his 100th birthday. Today he is remembered not only for the volume of his scientific work, but also for the example he set as a naturalist who paid close attention to the living world over a lifetime.