Gaston-François de Witte
Gaston-François de Witte was a Belgian herpetologist who discovered and described at least 24 different species of reptiles.
During his career, he was associated with the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren and the Museum of Natural Sciences in Brussels. He is best known for his research of amphibians and reptiles found in the Belgian Congo, from where he collected thousands of specimens. While in central Africa, he also collected botanical specimens.Honorifics
- Médaille de la Victoire 1914-1918
- Médaille commémorative de la guerre 1914-1918
- Chevalier de l’Ordre de Léopold II
- Chevalier de l’Ordre royal du Lion
- Chevalier de l’Ordre de Léopold
- Médaille civique de Première Classe
- Commandeur de l’Ordre de Léopold II
- Commandeur de l’Ordre royal du Lion
- Grand Officier de l’Ordre de Léopold
He has also been welcomed by foreign societies.
He has also been awarded the Prix Selys Longchamps from the Classe des Sciences de l’Académie royale de Belgique.Eponymy
- "Witte's beaked snake", Letheobia wittei, described by Mme. Rolande Roux-Estève in 1974.
- "Witte's five-toed skink", Leptosiaphos dewittei, circumscribed by Arthur Loveridge in 1934.
- "Witte's spider gecko", Agamura misonnei, synonymous with Rhinogecko misonnei, described by de Witte in 1973.
Selected works
- Batraciens et reptiles, 1930.
- Revision d'un groupe de Colubridae africains. Genres Calamelaps, Miodon, Aparallactus et formes affines, 1947.
- Amphibiens et reptiles, 1948.
- Genera des serpents du Congo et du Ruanda-Urundi, 1962 - Genera of snakes of the Congo and Ruanda-Urundi.
- Les caméléons de l'Afrique centrale : république démocratique du Congo, République du Rwanda et Royaume du Burundi. 1965 - Chameleons of central Africa; the Democratic Republic of the Congo. the Republic of Rwanda and the Kingdom of Burundi.
