Johann Natterer

Johann Natterer (9 November 1787 – 17 June 1843) was an Austrian naturalist and explorer. He was the son of royal falconer Joseph Natterer and along with his brother Joseph Natterer (1786–1852) took a keen interest in natural history. He collected natural history specimens extensively from South America and numerous species from his collections were named after him.

Family and early life


Johann Natterer was born in Laxenberg, the son of the natural history specimen collector and falconer Joseph Natterer Sr. (1754–1823) and Maria Anna Theresia Schober (his mother), the daughter of a master baker from Laxenburg. He had a brother (Joseph Natterer, 1786–1852). Joseph Natterer Sr. was the last mounted falconer of Austria. When Emperor Franz I dissolved the falconry (Falknerei) in Laxenburg, he bought the collection of Joseph Natterer Sr. This contained numerous domestic birds, mammals, and insects, and Franz I assigned it the further support and the development of the collection.

The collection was brought in 1794 to Vienna and incorporated in the Tiercabinet with the k.k physical-astronomical as well as the Kunstcabinet. The collection was soon made accessible to the public, however without scientific or didactic value. Joseph Natterer Sr. introduced both his sons to the collection and taught them the art of preparing skins and mounts. The director of the collection was Karl von Schreibers and he was assisted by Joseph Natterer junior, who began his career as a volunteer aide and terminated as first curator (Kustos) of the collection, while Johann became, in 1808, a volunteer (freiwilliger) coworker.

Johann Natterer initially attended a Piarist school; however, in 1794, he transferred to a normal school and completed high school (gymnasium) there. From 1802 to 1803, Johann Natterer attended the material academy and heard scientific lectures at the university. He travelled through Europe collecting specimens and preparing them for the museum. He travelled to Turkey and Italy with the taxidermist Dominik Sochor from 1812 to 1814.

Expeditions
In 1817, Emperor Franz I financed an expedition to Brazil on the occasion of the wedding of his daughter Archduchess Maria Leopoldina to the Portuguese crown prince, Dom Pedro of Alcantara (who was later to become Emperor of Brazil). Prince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, a keen naturalist considered it an opportunity to send a team of naturalists and scientists. Natterer was initially considered for the expedition leader position but this was given to Johann Christian Mikan and he was selected as the zoologist on the expedition and was accompanied by other naturalists including Johann Baptist von Spix and Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius. The team fell apart with several members falling sick. The Austrian government withdrew support in 1821 following unrest in Brazil. Johann Natterer and his friend Dominik Sochor remained in South America. He fell sick with hepatitis in 1825 and the next year Sochor died at São Vicente. He continued to collect specimens until 1835, returning to Vienna with a large collection of specimens, including new species such as the South American lungfish, which he gave to the Imperial Natural-Science Cabinet (K.k. Naturaliencabinet), the predecessor of the Naturhistorisches Museum.

Field notes
Natterer did not publish an account of his travels, and his notebooks and diary were destroyed in the Hofburg fire of 1848 during the Vienna Revolution; however, his specimen collections of 60,000 insects were a part of the "Brazilian museum" in the "Harrach' house" and escaped the fire.

Natterer also collected word lists of dozens of indigenous South American languages, including of various Arawakan, Tupian, Bororoan, and other languages. The lists are mostly still in unpublished manuscripts that are currently still being digitized.

Species named after Natterer
A number of animals are named after Johann Natterer, including Natterer's slaty antshrike and Natterer's bat. Three species of reptiles are named in his honor: Lystrophis nattereri, Philodryas nattereri, and Tropiocolotes nattereri.

The fish Copella nattereri Steindachner, 1876 is named after him.

The catfish Corydoras nattereri Steindachner, 1876 is named after him.

The South American fish Leporinus nattereri Steindachner 1876.