Johann Natterer

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Image:Johann natterer.jpg Johann Natterer (November 9, 1787 - June 17, 1843) was an Austrian naturalist and explorer.

Johann Natterer's father was animal-zoologist Joseph Natterer Sr., and his mother was Maria Anna Theresia Schober. He had a brother, Joseph Natterer, Jr. (1776-1852). <ref name=JohannDWP>

    "Johann Natterer - Wikipedia" (German article),
    German Wikipedia, 2006, De.Wikipedia.org webpage:
    DeWikipedia-Johann-Natterer.

</ref>

In 1817, Emperor Franz II <ref name=expedNM>

    "The Crustacean Collection of the Museum of Natural History in Vienna" (history),
    Peter C. Dworschak & Verena Stagl, 3rd Zoological Dept.,
    Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna, webpage (@www.nhm-wien.ac.at):
    NHM-Wien-Crustacean-PDF.

</ref> financed an expedition to Brazil on the occasion of the wedding of his daughter Archduchess Leopoldina to the Portuguese crown prince, Dom Pedro of Alcantara (who was later to become Emperor of Brazil).<ref name=expedNM/> Natterer was the zoologist on the expedition,<ref name=expedNM/> and was accompanied by other naturalists including Johann Baptist von Spix and Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius. Johann Natterer remained in South America 18 years, until 1835,<ref name=expedNM/> returning to Vienna, Austria with a large collection of specimens, including new species such as the South American Lungfish, which he gave to the museum Natural-Science Cabinet ("'K.k. Naturaliencabinet'" <ref name=expedNM/>) that preceded the Naturhistorisches Museum.

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.

A number of animals are named after Johann Natterer, including Natterer's Slaty Antshrike and Natterer's Bat.

[edit] Family and early life

Johann Natterer was born on November 9, 1787, as a son of the animal-zoologist Joseph Natterer Sr. and the daughter of a master baker from Laxenburg, Maria Anna Theresia Schober (his mother).<ref name=JohannDWP/> He had a brother (Joseph Natterer, 1776-1852). Joseph Natterer senior of Austria last mounted Falkner had been. 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.<ref name=JohannDWP/>

The collection was brought in 1794 to Vienna and included into the Tiercabinet with the k.k physical-astronomical as well as the Kunstcabinet.<ref name=JohannDWP/> The collection was made accessible soon for the public, however without scientific or didactical value. Joseph Natterer Sr. introduced both his sons likewise into the collection and brought to the art of preparing Ausbalgens and chase.<ref name=JohannDWP/> His oldest son, Joseph, began his career as a freiwilliger aid and terminated as first Kustos, Johann became in 1808 freiwilliger coworkers.<ref name=JohannDWP/>

First, Johann Natterer had attended the Piaristen school; however in 1794, he transfered into the normal school and completed high school (gymnasium) there.<ref name=JohannDWP/> From 1802 to 1803, Johann Natterer attended the material academy and heard scientific lectures at the university.<ref name=JohannDWP/>