Pierre André Marie Raymond Rollinat (2 September 1859, Saint-Gaultier – 27 December 1931) was a French

herpetologist Herpetology (from Greek ἑρπετόν ''herpetón'', meaning "reptile" or "creeping animal") is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and caecilians (gymnophiona)) and rept ...

. He was related to the

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

Maurice Rollinat Maurice Rollinat (December 29, 1846 in Châteauroux, Indre – October 26, 1903 in Ivry-sur-Seine) was a French poet and musician. Early works His father represented Indre in the National Assembly of 1848, and was a friend of George Sand, whose i ...

(1846-1903). As a young boy, Rollinat learned a love of animals from his great-uncle, an amateur

ornithologist Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and th ...

, and while a high school student in

Châteauroux Châteauroux (; ; oc, Chasteurós) is the capital city of the French department of Indre, central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called ''Castelroussins'' () in French. Climate Ch ...

, he trained under a local

taxidermist Taxidermy is the art of preserving an animal's body via mounting (over an armature) or stuffing, for the purpose of display or study. Animals are often, but not always, portrayed in a lifelike state. The word ''taxidermy'' describes the proce ...

. As an adult, except for a period of time spent in the military, he lived his entire life in

Argenton-sur-Creuse Argenton-sur-Creuse is a commune in the Indre department in central France. Geography Argenton-sur-Creuse lies on the river Creuse, about 28 km southwest of Châteauroux. Argenton-sur-Creuse station has rail connections to Vierzon, Limoges and ...

, where he kept a laboratory with a large adjacent garden. In his garden he set up various enclosures and

vivaria A vivarium (Latin, literally for "place of life"; plural: ''vivaria'' or ''vivariums'') is an area, usually enclosed, for keeping and raising animals or plants for observation or research. Water-based vivaria may have open tops providing they a ...

in order to observe animal behavior close-up. Rollinat was dedicated to research of

vertebrates Vertebrates () comprise all animal taxa within the subphylum Vertebrata () ( chordates with backbones), including all mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish. Vertebrates represent the overwhelming majority of the phylum Chordata, ...

native to central France, in particular

reptiles Reptiles, as most commonly defined are the animals in the Class (biology), class Reptilia ( ), a paraphyletic grouping comprising all sauropsid, sauropsids except birds. Living reptiles comprise turtles, crocodilians, Squamata, squamates (lizar ...

and

amphibians Amphibians are four-limbed and ectothermic vertebrates of the class Amphibia. All living amphibians belong to the group Lissamphibia. They inhabit a wide variety of habitats, with most species living within terrestrial, fossorial, arbore ...

. His work included studies of breeding habits,

hibernation Hibernation is a state of minimal activity and metabolic depression undergone by some animal species. Hibernation is a seasonal heterothermy characterized by low body-temperature, slow breathing and heart-rate, and low metabolic rate. It most ...

, hatching of eggs and

embryonic development An embryo is an initial stage of development of a multicellular organism. In organisms that reproduce sexually, embryonic development is the part of the life cycle that begins just after fertilization of the female egg cell by the male sperm ...

. He took particular interest in the habits of the

European pond turtle The European pond turtle (''Emys orbicularis''), also called commonly the European pond terrapin and the European pond tortoise, is a species of long-living freshwater turtle in the family Emydidae. The species is endemic to the Western Palearct ...

, which was one of a number of local species that he devoted an in-depth life history to. During his career he maintained correspondence with fellow herpetologists,

George Albert Boulenger George Albert Boulenger (19 October 1858 – 23 November 1937) was a Belgian-British zoologist who described and gave scientific names to over 2,000 new animal species, chiefly fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Boulenger was also an active botani ...

(1858-1937),

Willy Wolterstorff Willy Georg Wolterstorff (16 June 1864 in Calbe – 21 January 1943 in Magdeburg) was a German paleontologist and herpetologist. As a child he lost his hearing due to disease, thus finding it necessary to lip-reading, lip-read from an early ag ...

(1864-1943) and

Mario Giacinto Peracca Mario Giacinto Peracca (21 November 1861, Turin – 23 May 1923, Turin) was an Italian herpetologist. He discovered zoology through his father, an amateur ornithologist. He started taking medical classes at the University of Turin, with his stud ...

(1861-1923).

Written works

In 1934, his ''La Vie des reptiles de la France centrale'' was first published, later being re-issued in 1937, 1946 and 1980. * ''Catalogue des reptiles, batraciens et poissons du département de l'Indre'', 1891 - Catalog of reptiles, amphibians and fish from the department of

Indre Indre (; oc, Endre) is a landlocked department in central France named after the river Indre. The inhabitants of the department are known as the ''Indriens'' (masculine; ) and ''Indriennes'' (feminine; ). Indre is part of the current administ ...

. * ''La Capture des Alouettes dans le département de l'Indre'' - Capture of

larks Larks are passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. Larks have a cosmopolitan distribution with the largest number of species occurring in Africa. Only a single species, the horned lark, occurs in North America, and only Horsfield's bush lark occ ...

in the department of Indre. * ''Sur la reproduction des chauvessouris'', 1896 - On reproduction involving bats. * ''Observations sur quelques reptiles du département de l'Indre. Moeurs et reproduction de l'orvet fragile'', 1897 - Observations on a few reptiles from the department of

, Behavior and reproduction of ''

Anguis fragilis The slow worm (''Anguis fragilis'') is a reptile native to western Eurasia. It is also called a deaf adder, a slowworm, a blindworm, or regionally, a long-cripple and hazelworm. These legless lizards are also sometimes called common slowworms. Th ...

'' (a

slowworm The slow worm (''Anguis fragilis'') is a reptile native to western Eurasia. It is also called a deaf adder, a slowworm, a blindworm, or regionally, a long-cripple and hazelworm. These legless lizards are also sometimes called common slowworms. Th ...

species). * ''Sur le Sens de la Direction chez les Chiroptéres'', 1900 - On sense of direction involving

Chiroptera Bats are mammals of the Order (biology), order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in fli ...

. * ''Observations sur quelques reptiles du département de l'Indre; moeurs et reproduction du lézard vert'', 1900 - Observations on a few reptiles from the department of

, Behavior and reproduction of the green

lizard Lizards are a widespread group of squamate reptiles, with over 7,000 species, ranging across all continents except Antarctica, as well as most oceanic island chains. The group is paraphyletic since it excludes the snakes and Amphisbaenia alt ...

. * ''Sur le caractére et l'intelligence de quelques reptiles du département de l'Indre'', 1901 - On character and intelligence of a few reptiles from the department of Indre. * ''Observations sur quelques reptiles du département de l'Indre. Moeurs, reproduction et domestication de la cistude d'Europe'', 1902 - Observations on a few reptiles from the department of Indre, Reproduction and domestication of the

* ''Description et moeurs des mammiferes, oiseaux, reptiles, batraciens et poissons de la France centrale'', 1914, (with René Martin) - Description and behavior of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish of central France.WorldCat Identities
(publications)

References

SSARherps
(biography) {{DEFAULTSORT:Rollinaut, Raymond French zoologists People from Indre 1931 deaths French herpetologists 1853 births