Edward Harrison Taylor

Edward Harrison Taylor (April 23, 1889 – June 16, 1978) was an American herpetologist from Missouri.

Early life Taylor was born in Maysville, Missouri, to George and Loretta Taylor. He had an older brother, Eugene.

Taylor studied at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, graduating with a B.A. in 1912. Field trips during his time at the University of Kansas with Dr. Clarence McClung and Dr. Roy Moody helped prepare Taylor for his future endeavors. Between 1916 and 1920 he returned briefly to Kansas to finish his M.A.

Research Taylor described about 150 species and subspecies of reptile that are still recognized today, which makes him one of the most prolific reptile taxonomists of all time. Most of them are from the Philippines, but many others are from Mexico and other parts of the world.

Eponymous taxa Nine reptile species named in Taylor's honor are still recognized as valid: Trachemys taylori (Cuatrociénegas slider), Anolis taylori (Taylor's anole), Cyrtodactylus edwardtaylori (Badulla bow-fingered gecko), Dibamus taylori (Lesser Sunda blind lizard), Lankascincus taylori (Taylor's tree skink), Sceloporus edwardtaylori (Taylor's spiny lizard), Sphenomorphus taylori (Taylor's wedge skink), Agkistrodon taylori (ornate cantil), and Pseudorabdion taylori (Taylor's reedsnake). Gekko taylori (Taylor's gecko) has been synonymized with Gekko siamensis (Siamese green-eyed gecko).

Eleven subspecies of reptile named in Taylor's honor are still recognized as valid: Brachymeles boulengeri taylori (Negros short-legged skink), Gerrhonotus liocephalus taylori (Taylor's alligator lizard), Lipinia pulchella taylori (Negros beautiful lipinia), Sceloporus occidentalis taylori (Sierra fence lizard), Sphenomorphus assatus taylori (Taylor's forest skink), Uta stansburiana taylori (Taylor's side-blotched lizard); Snakes: Coniophanes picevittis taylori (Taylor's black-striped snake), Cyclocorus nuchalis taylori (Taylor's southern triangle-spotted snake), Lampropeltis triangulum taylori (Utah milksnake), and Micrurus browni taylori (Acapulco coralsnake).

Publications Taylor's autobiographical memoir Edward H. Taylor: Recollection of an Herpetologist was published by the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History in 1975, with contributions from A. Byron Leonard, Hobart M. Smith, and George R. Pisani.