Robert G. (Robert Gravem) Webb

Robert Gravem Webb (February 18, 1927–September 18, 2018) was an American herpetologist known for his work on the systematics and biogeography of reptiles and amphibians, especially in Mexico and the southwestern United States. He served as professor emeritus of biological sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso and was also a longtime curator of herpetology there.

He earned his Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Kansas in 1960, with a specialization in herpetology. Over a long academic career, he became especially associated with the herpetofauna of the Sierra Madre Occidental and with research on softshell turtles, producing a large body of scientific work that remained influential well beyond his retirement.

Remembered by colleagues and students as both a careful field scientist and a generous mentor, he left a strong mark on North American herpetology. His career linked museum collections, field discovery, and university teaching in a way that made his work useful not just to specialists, but to anyone interested in the reptiles and amphibians of the region.