What do Robert C. Stebbins and Stephen King Have in Common?

What does the late herpetologist Robert C. Stebbins and the master of horror Stephen King have in common?

According to AbeBooks.com, not only did both authors write about all things cold-blooded, they also turned up among BookFinder.com’s list of most-searched-for-out-of-print-books-of-2017. According to the report, Stebbins’ Peterson Field Guides to Western Reptiles and Amphibians was keeping good company with such classics as Halloween, the 1979 novelization of the 1978 Michael Meyers horror movie hit; the coming of age classic Fast Times at Ridgemont High; Madonna’s controversial Sex; and the George Micheal biography Bare.

Why Stebbins was keeping such strange bedfellows last year is anyone’s guess. Hopefully, it means the next generation of herpetologists was stocking up on the west coast’s quintessential field guide. But if the world runs out of Stebbins’ 3rd edition any time soon, you can rest assured that a new edition is in the works. This October, the Peterson Field Guide to Western Reptiles & Amphibians (Fourth Edition) by Robert Stebbins will hit the shelves with updates by co-author Samuel McGinnis.

Herpetological Review: The Herpetological Art of Robert Cyril Stebbins

It has been some time since my last contribution to the Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles‘ journal, Herpetological Review (see also SSAR’s facebook page), so I was honored when I was asked to contribute a retrospective on the late herpetologist and artist Dr. Robert (“Bob”) Cyril Stebbins (March 31, 1915—September 23, 2013) for the column, “Art in Herpetology.”

Hot off the presses in the second issue of the 2017 volume (page 472-473), The Herpetological Art of Robert Cyril Stebbins looks back at the life and career of a man whose contributions to the field of herpetology are still not only celebrated, but put to work on a daily basis as biologists young and old pick up their copy of Stebbins’ field guide, A Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, and thumb through the pages to identify this or that lizard, check a species’ range, or compare a specimen to the carefully illustrated plates within.

In the process of preparing this piece, I had the opportunity to handle Dr. Stebbins field notebooks and original intricate illustrations at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Bancroft Library, and had the pleasure of speaking with Professor Emeritus David B. Wake, former Director and Curator of Herpetology at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, and Theodore Papenfuss, research specialist at the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, about their experience working alongside this venerable herpetologist. But nothing says more about Dr. Stebbins’ passion for herpetology than his artwork.

Full Citation: Bettelheim, Matthew P. 2017. Art in Herpetology: The Herpetological Art of Robert Cyril Stebbins. Herpetological Review 48(2): p 472-473.

Dr. Robert C. Stebbins: Happy Birthday

March 31st is California’s esteemed herpetologist Dr. Robert C. Stebbins‘ birthday. Dr. Stebbins passed away last year on September 23, 2013, at the age of 98. Whether you knew him in person or were an admirer from afar – even if only through the pages of his trusty field guides – this is as good a time as any to remember him not only for his great accomplishments, but also his kindness.

Robert C. Stebbins, Kensington Residence Studio, 2004 Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley (by Charles W. Brown)

In Memorium: Robert C. Stebbins *UPDATE*

Robert Cyril Stebbins, Kensington Studio, 2004 w/ the Permission of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley

On September 23, esteemed herpetologist Dr. Robert (“Bob”) Cyril Stebbins (March 31, 1915 – September 23, 2013) passed away in his sleep at the age of 98. In the days since his passing, articles and obituaries have sprung up across the county commemorating Dr. Stebbins not only for his great accomplishments, but also his kindness.

Three new obituaries from the New York Times, LA Times, and SF Gate are listed below for those interested in learning more about one of California’s finest environmental heroes.

New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/08/us/robert-c-stebbins-chronicler-of-western-reptiles-and-amphibians-dies-at-98.html?_r=0

LA Time
http://www.latimes.com/obituaries/la-me-robert-stebbins-20131006,0,6487001.story

SF Gate
http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Robert-C-Stebbins-UC-Berkeley-biologist-dies-4867758.php

For those of you who wish to share your thoughts, memories, and reflections of time spend with Dr. Stebbins as a friend, student, or colleague, or as a naturalist in the great outdoors with his field guides in hand, I encourage you to visit this earlier post, In Memorium: Robert C. Stebbins (March 31, 1915 – September 23, 2013), and record a note in the “Comments” to share your love and respect for the late Dr. Stebbins with the herpetological community.

In the Spring of 2012, the Stebbins family granted me permission to reprint extracts from his memoir, a work-in-progress he offered freely to the herpetological community. For more information on this serial column featuring the life and times of Dr. Robert C. Stebbins, please visit this post.

In Memorium: Robert C. Stebbins *UPDATE*

Robert Cyril Stebbins, Kensington Studio, 2004 w/ the Permission of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, UC Berkeley

On September 23, esteemed herpetologist Dr. Robert (“Bob”) Cyril Stebbins (March 31, 1915 – September 23, 2013) passed away in his sleep at the age of 98. In the days since his passing, articles and obituaries have sprung up across the county commemorating Dr. Stebbins not only for his great accomplishments, but also his kindness. An *updated*  list of sites is listed below for those interested in learning more about one of California’s finest environmental heroes, including the Stebbins family’s formal obituary published in the Eugene Register-Guard on September 26, 2013.

Eugene Register-Guard (obituary)
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/registerguard/obituary.aspx?n=robert-cyril-stebbins&pid=167159362#sthash.WTfd2Rrw.dpbs

National Geographic (guest blogger)
http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/09/25/tribute-to-a-modern-artist-scientist/

U.C. Berkeley News Center
http://newscenter.berkeley.edu/2013/09/27/berkeley-reptile-and-amphibian-expert-robert-stebbins-dies-at-98/

The Reptile Channel
http://www.reptilechannel.com/reptile-news/2013/09/26/robert-stebbins-dies-at-98.aspx

The Daily Californian (obituary)
http://www.dailycal.org/2013/09/26/robert-stebbins-uc-berkeley-professor-emeritus-dies-98/

Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (archival interview)
http://mvzarchives.wordpress.com/2013/09/26/robert-c-stebbins-1915-2013/

Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (memorial poster)
http://mvz.berkeley.edu/archive.php

The Center for North American Herpetology
http://www.cnah.org/ (see “In Memorium”)

Southern California Public Radio
http://www.scpr.org/news/2013/09/25/39468/robert-stebbins-renowned-field-biologist-dies-at-9/

Coyote Crossing
http://coyot.es/crossing/2013/09/24/rip-bob-stebbins/

For those of you who wish to share your thoughts, memories, and reflections of time spend with Dr. Stebbins as a friend, student, or colleague, or as a naturalist in the great outdoors with his field guides in hand, I encourage you to visit this earlier post, In Memorium: Robert C. Stebbins (March 31, 1915 – September 23, 2013), and record a note in the “Comments” to share your love and respect for the late Dr. Stebbins with the herpetological community.

In the Spring of 2012, the Stebbins family granted me permission to reprint extracts from his memoir, a work-in-progress he offered freely to the herpetological community. For more information on this serial column featuring the life and times of Dr. Robert C. Stebbins, please visit this post.