Johann Georg Wagler (28 March 1800 – 23 August 1832) was a German herpetologist and ornithologist. Wagler was assistant to Johann Baptist von Spix, and gave lectures in zoology at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich) after it was moved to Munich. He worked on the extensive collections brought back from Brazil by Spix, and published partly together with him books on reptiles from Brazil. Wagler wrote Monographia Psittacorum (1832), which included the correct naming of the blue macaws. In 1832, Wagler died of an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound while out collecting in München-Moosach.
Life Johann Georg Wagler was a German naturalist and scientist in the 19th century, whose works primarily focused on herpetology and ornithology. Wagler was born on 28 March 1800, in the city of Nuremberg, where the Chancellor of the City Court was Wagler's father. He attended the Gymnasium in Nuremberg and showed a predilection for Natural History. He started his scientific research at the University of Erlangen in 1818. After Johann Baptist von Spix returned from his expedition to Brazil in 1819, Wagler, then only nineteen years of age, was invited to become Spix's assistant at the Museum of Academy of Sciences in Munich. Wagler later became one of Spix's colleagues. In 1820 Wagler obtained the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at the University of Leipzig. In 1825, after being Spix's assistant in a large number of his zoological works, Wagler was tasked by King Maximillian-Joseph on a special trip to visit the museums of Holland, England, and France. During this mission across Europe, Wagler was not only made the personal acquaintance of some of the most decorated naturalists and scientists of these nations at the time but also succeeded in acquiring a significant quantity of valuable specimens for the Museum and Menagerie of Munich. Upon Johann Baptist von Spix's death in 1826, Wagler became the Director of the Zoological Museum and Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, where Wagler continued working on Spix's extensive Brazilian collection from years prior. In 1827 Wagler was appointed Professor Extraordinary in the then newly instituted LMU Munich. In 1832, Wagler was injured from a self-inflicted gunshot on a hunting trip, an incident that led directly to his demise.
Works Wagler specialised mostly in the fields of herpetology and ornithology. Ornithology is a branch of zoology that specialises in the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them."(Newton & Gadow, 1986). There are several aspects of ornithology that stem from the related disciplines because of the high level of visibility and the aesthetic appeal of birds (Newton, 1998). Herpetology, on the other hand, is a branch within zoology that concerns the research and study of amphibians and reptiles (Zug, Vitt & Caldwell, 2001). From his research and discoveries, Wagler had written and co-written multiple papers on herpetology and ornithology, of which the most famous was a book regarding ornithology named Monographia Psittacorum. Wagler's other books, articles and research papers are currently available for viewing at the Biodiversity Heritage Library. Given his short life span, Wagler did not get many chances to publish, however, in 1884, a memoir of Johann Georg Wagler, Wagler's Six ornithological memoirs from the Isis, was edited and published. The memoirs contained unfinished and unpublished works along with personal details of his expeditions throughout the years.
Legacy Wagler is commemorated in the specific names of three species of reptiles: Atractus wagleri, Podarcis waglerianus, and Tropidolaemus wagleri. Wagler described a taxonomic arrangement of psittacine fauna, parrots and cockatoos, some of which are recognised in the systematic classification of these birds.
Awards Despite the works and contributions in the fields of herpetology and ornithology made during his career (Beolens, Watkins & Grayson, 2011), Wagler did not receive any awards. His legacy and discoveries in the fields of ornithology and herpetology, however, have received appraisals from fellow scientists. Wagler's works have stood the test of time and continue to be used and referenced today for scientific research (Kieckbusch, Mader, Kaiser & Mecke, 2018).
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