Anthony Whitaker

Anthony Hume Whitaker (5 September 1944 – 20 February 2014) was a New Zealand herpetologist known for his 50-year career in fieldwork, pioneering research, and species discoveries. Born in Chesterfield, England, in 1944, he emigrated to New Zealand with his family in 1951. He obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in zoology from Victoria University of Wellington in 1966. Whitaker's passion for reptiles began at a young age, collecting skink specimens in Upper Hutt. He became a naturalized New Zealander in 1976 and made significant contributions to the field of herpetology. His collection of reptile and amphibian specimens donated to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa remains the largest to this day. Whitaker passed away from a heart attack while mountain-biking near Motueka in 2014.