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François Marie Daudin (French pronunciation: [fʁɑ̃swa maʁi dodɛ̃]; 29 August 1776 in Paris – 30 November 1803 in Paris) was a French zoologist.

Biography

With legs paralyzed by childhood disease,^[1] he studied physics and natural history but ended up being devoted to the latter.

Daudin wrote Traité élémentaire et complet d'Ornithologie (Complete and Elementary Treatise of Ornithology) in 1799–1800. It was one of the first modern handbooks of ornithology, combining Linnean binomial nomenclature with the anatomical and physiological descriptions of Buffon. While an excellent beginning, it was never completed.

In 1800, he also published Recueil de mémoires et de notes sur des espèces inédites ou peu connues de mollusques, de vers et de zoophytes (Collection of memories and notes on new or little-known species of molluscs, worms and zoophytes).

Daudin found his greatest success in herpetology. He published Histoire naturelle des reinettes, des grenouilles et des crapauds (Natural history of tree frogs, frogs and toads) in 1802, and Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière des reptiles (Natural History of Reptiles) (8 volumes) in 1802–1803. This latter work contained descriptions of 517 species, many for the first time, based on examining over 1100 specimens.

He was assisted by his wife "Adèle" (Adélaïde Geneviève de Grégoire de Saint-Sauveur, born 1774), who drew the illustrations. Although his books were commercial failures the couple did not live in poverty, due to the family fortune.^[2] She died of tuberculosis in late 1803, and he followed shortly thereafter, also of tuberculosis, not yet 30 years old.

Taxonomic credits

Despite his short life, Daudin made a lasting contribution to taxonomy.

Birds

Accipiter minullus, little sparrowhawk
Accipiter tachiro, African goshawk
Anhinga rufa, African darter
Anthochaera paradoxa, yellow wattlebird
Ciccaba huhula, black-banded owl
Circus ranivorus, African marsh harrier
Coracias naevius, Purple roller
Corvus leucognaphalus, white-necked crow
Crypsirina temia, black racket-tailed treepie
Falco chicquera, red-necked falcon
Falco rufigularis, bat falcon
Falco tinnunculus rupicolus, rock kestrel
Gymnasio nudipes, Puerto Rican owl
Haliaeetus vocifer, African fish eagle
Lamprotornis ornatus, Principe glossy-starling
Lophaetus occipitalis, long-crested eagle
Lophostrix cristata, crested owl
Loxigilla portoricensis, Puerto Rican bullfinch
Malimbus malimbicus, crested malimbe
Melanerpes portoricensis, Puerto Rican woodpecker
Melierax gabar, Gabar goshawk
Morphnus guianensis, crested eagle
Onychognathus nabouroup, pale-winged starling
Paradisaea rubra, red bird-of-paradise
Phaethon lepturus, white-tailed tropicbird
Ploceus baglafecht, baglafecht weaver
Polemaetus bellicosus, martial eagle
Saltator fuliginosus, black-throated grosbeak
Seleucidis melanoleucus, twelve-wired bird-of-paradise
Spizaetus ornatus, ornate hawk eagle
Sporopipes frontalis, speckle-fronted weaver
Sturnus melanopterus, black-winged starling
Terathopius ecaudatus, bateleur

Reptiles

Genus Acanthophis, death adders
Genus Bungarus, kraits
Genus Corallus, tree boas
Genus Eryx, Old World sand boas
Genus Lachesis, bushmasters
Genus Pelamis, yellow-bellied sea snakes
Genus Python, pythons
Genus Ophisaurus, glass lizards
Genus Takydromus, Oriental racers
Alligator mississippiensis, American alligator
Anolis auratus, anole, no common name
Anolis punctatus, Amazon green anole
Atretium schistosum, split keelback (snake)
Bitis cornuta, many-horned adder
Boa constrictor imperator, common northern boa
Caiman latirostris, broad-snouted caiman
Caiman yacare, yacare caiman
Clelia clelia, black mussurana
Coronella girondica, southern smooth snake
Cuora amboinensis amboinensis, Malayan box turtle
Dendrelaphis tristis, bronzeback (snake)
Disteira nigrocincta, no common name, venomous sea snake
Dracaena guianensis, caiman lizard
Elaphe helena, trinket snake
Enhydrina schistosa, beaked sea snake
Eumeces schneiderii, Schneider's skink
Gopherus polyphemus, Florida gopher tortoise
Hemidactylus triedrus, termite hill gecko
Hydrophis cyanocinctus, annulated sea snake
Hydrophis mamillaris, Bombay sea snake
Hydrophis obscurus, Russell's sea snake
Kentropyx striata, striped Kentropyx (lizard)
Lacerta bilineata, western green lizard
Lycodon capucinus, common wolf snake
Lycodon nympha, common bridal snake
Micrurus psyches, carib coral snake
Oxybelis fulgidus, green vine snake
Pituophis melanoleucus, pine snake
Rafetus euphraticus, Euphrates softshell turtle
Ramphotyphlops braminus, brahminy blind snake
Rhinoclemmys punctularia, spot-legged turtle
Sceloporus undulatus undulatus, eastern fence lizard
Scelotes gronovii, Gronovi's dwarf burrowing skink
Siphlophis compressus, red vine snake
Takydromus sexlineatus, Asian grass lizard
Teius teyou, no common name, family Teiidae (whiptails)
Timon lepidus, ocellated lizard
Tripanurgos compressus, mapepire de fe (snake)
Varanus albigularis, rock monitor
Varanus bengalensis, Bengal monitor
Varanus griseus, desert monitor
Varanus indicus, mangrove monitor
Xenoxybelis argenteus, green striped vine snake

Amphibians

Caecilia albiventris, no common name, Caecilian
Cryptobranchus alleganiensis, hellbender (salamander)
Elachistocleis surinamensis, sapito apuntado de Surinam
Hoplobatrachus tigerinus, Indian bullfrog
Hyla surinamensis (nomen dubium)^[3]
Pelodytes punctatus, common parsley frog
Phyllomedusa hypochondrialis, rana lemur de flancos rojos
Pseudacris ocularis, little grass frog
Sphaenorhynchus lacteus, rana fantasma (tree frog)
Xenopus laevis, African clawed frog

Molluscs

Genus Spiroglyptus, wormsnails, family Vermetidae
Genus Vermetus, wormsnails, family Vermetidae

Annelids

Genus Spirorbis, hard tube worms

Taxa named in Daudin's honour

Aldabrachelys gigantea daudinii (A.M.C. Duméril & Bibron, 1835) – Daudin's giant tortoise (extinct, Seychelles)
Gonatodes daudini POWELL & HENDERSON, 2005, Union Island Clawed Gecko

References

^ Beoens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. ("Daudin, F. M.", p.66).
^ Bour, Roger (2011). "François Marie Daudin (29 août 1776-30 novembre 1803), auteur de l’Histoire naturelle, générale et particulière, des Reptiles". Alytes 28 (1-2): 1-76.
^ 2007 IUCN Red List – Search