Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons
| Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons | |
|---|---|
| Born |
February 7, 1901 Pitermaritzburg |
| Died | August 1, 1975 (aged 74) Pretoria |
| Fields | Herpetology, Plant collector |
| Institutions | Transvaal Museum, Namib Desert Research Station |
| Alma mater | Rhodes University |
| Notes | |
Vivian Frederick Maynard FitzSimons, born in Pietermaritzburg, was a notable herpetologist in South Africa. Also, he contributed to the collection of spermatophyte samples for the National Herbarium which has become part of the South African National Biodiversity Institute at the Pretoria National Botanical Garden. In 1937, together with Anna Amelia Obermeyer, he collected some of the earliest plant specimens from the Eastern Highlands of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe).
Later, as director of the Transvaal Museum, he together with Charles Koch helped to establish the Namib Desert Research Institute in Gobabeb
Vivian FitzSimons came from a family of naturalists. His father, Frederick William FitzSimons, and his mother Patricia Henrietta (née Russell), both immigrated to South Africa from Ireland.
His brother was Desmond Charles Fitzsimons, who in 1939 founded the Fitzsimons Snake Park (Durban) and was a leading distributor of snake antivenoms in South Africa.
Vivian FitzSimons attended the prestigious Grey High School in Port Elizabeth.
Some of his writings include:
As a leading herpetologist at the Transvaal Museum, Vivian was involved in the original description of as many as 41 South African reptiles, including the following species.
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