British Herpetological Society
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The British Herpetological Society (BHS) is an international herpetological society based in the United Kingdom. The BHS is a non-profit organization with goals to support the conservation, education and captive care of reptiles and amphibians. The society regularly publishes the Herpetological Journal and Herpetological Bulletin on a quarterly basis. It is one of the oldest international herpetological societies and is recognized worldwide for its support in conservation, research and other relevant activities.
| British Herpetological Society | |
|---|---|
| Website | https://www.thebhs.org/ |
| History | |
| Founded | 1947 |
| Founder | Malcolm A. Smith |
| Current Executive | |
| President | Gerardo Garcia |
| Immediate Past-President | Richard A. Griffiths |
| Chairman | Mark Hollowell |
| Treasurer | Michael Wise |
| Secretary | Trevor Rose |
History
The society was established in 1947 with the help of Dr Malcolm A. Smith who was a physician who practised in the Royal Court of Siam. Whilst in Siam (present day Thailand), Dr Smith studied the herpetofauna as well as that of south-east Asia. After retiring, he returned to Britain where he developed an interest in the native reptiles and amphibians. This led him founding the society as a way to promote the values he saw fit in regards to the herpetofauna of the British Isles and the wider landscape.[1]
Past Presidents
Past presidents of the British Herpetological Society, listed by retirement date:
- Dr. M. A. Smith (1956)
- Dr. J. F. D. Frazer (1981)
- The Earl of Cranbrook (1990)
- Prof. J. L. Cloudsley-Thompson (1996)
- Dr. R. Avery (1997)
- Dr. H. Robert Bustard (2005)
- Prof. T. J. C. Beebee (2013)
- Prof. R. A. Griffiths (2018)
Publications
The BHS publishes a small number of publications[2] such as:
- Herpetological Journal (formerly British Journal of Herpetology)
- Herpetological Bulletin (formerly The British Herpetological Society Bulletin)
- Natterjack
- British Herpetological Society Reports