Tribute to a legend of southern African herpetology: Wulf Dietrich Haacke (1936–2021), with a bibliography of his herpetological contributions

Abstract

Windhoek-born Wulf Dietrich Haacke’s career as a herpetologist while associated with the Transvaal Museum in Pretoria spanned more than 50 years. He passed away on 30 June 2021 at the age of 84. This tribute summarises various aspects of his life and achievements, and their significance to African herpetology, including his involvement with the Herpetological Association of Africa. Wulf’s collecting expeditions to various southern African countries, especially Namibia, Angola, South Africa and Lesotho, contributed significantly to making the herpetological collection at Ditsong National Museum of Natural History (formerly Transvaal Museum) one of the largest such collections on the continent. He generated 72 herpetology-related publications, including significant lizard taxonomic revisions. His publications include descriptions of 16 herpetological taxa (13 lizards, two snakes and one frog). To date, nine animal taxa (four lizards, five invertebrates) have been named in his honour. We include personal recollections, based on our association with him since the 1980s. A bibliography of Wulf’s herpetological publications is also provided.