return to main index

  mobile - desktop
follow us on facebook follow us on twitter follow us on YouTube link to us on LinkedIn
Click for ZooMed  
Click here to visit Classifieds
Locate a business by name: click to list your business
search the classifieds. buy an account
events by zip code list an event
Search the forums             Search in:
News & Events: Kingsnake Merch Store . . . . . . . . . .  kingsnake.com joins Monitor Brains! . . . . . . . . . .  PACNWRS - Apr. 18-19, 2026 . . . . . . . . . .  Colorado Herp Society Meeting - Apr 18, 2026 . . . . . . . . . .  Chicago Herpetological Society Meeting - Apr 19, 2026 . . . . . . . . . .  Bay Area Herpetological Society Meeting - Apr 24, 2026 . . . . . . . . . .  DFW Herp Society Meeting - April 25, 2026 . . . . . . . . . .  Big Sky Reptile Expo - April 25-26, 2026 . . . . . . . . . .  Greater Cincinnati Herp Society Meeting - May 06, 2026 . . . . . . . . . .  CRE - May 16-17, 2026 . . . . . . . . . .  Colorado Herp Society Meeting - May 16, 2026 . . . . . . . . . .  Chicago Herpetological Society Meeting - May 17, 2026 . . . . . . . . . . 

return to herpbio index
return to herpbio index


"Frank Wall"

Colonel Frank Wall (21 April 1868 – 19 May 1950) was a physician and herpetologist who lived in Sri Lanka and India.

Early life and education

Wall was born in Colombo, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). His father, George Wall, was responsible for initiating the study of natural history on the island. Wall was sent to England to be educated at Harrow School, the same school his father and brothers attended, and studied medicine in London before joining the Indian Medical Service in 1893.Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. . ("Wall", p. 279).

Herpetology

Sent to India under the British Raj, Wall continued to work there until 1925 and researched many animals, especially snakes. He collected numerous snakes, many of which are now in the collections of the British Museum and the Natural History Museum, London.

Wall was a member of the Bombay Natural History Society and published more than 200 scientific articles, as well as the book A Popular Treatise on the Common Indian Snakes. He described approximately 30 new species of snakes.

In 1913, the third edition of his book, The poisonous Terrestrial Snakes of our British Indian Dominions, Including Ceylon, and How to Recognise Them; With Symptoms of Snake Poisoning and Treatment, was published.

He was the brother of Arnold Wall and Rowena Wall, later Rowena Seymour, Duchess of Somerset, and the uncle of Evelyn Seymour, 17th Duke of Somerset.

Frank Wall died in Bournemouth, England on 19 May 1950.

Legacy

Wall is commemorated in the scientific names of five reptiles: Boiga ochracea walli, Bungarus sindanus walli, Cyrtodactylus walli, Hypnale walli, and Lycodon rufozonatus walli.

Along with Malcolm Arthur Smith, Wall is acknowledged as one of the two most important pioneers in the study of Indian herpetology.

Since Wall's death, some of his books, including Ophidia Taprobanica or The Snakes of Ceylon, have been republished.

Bibliography


 ● A Popular Treatise on the Common Indian Snakes (Bombay: 1900)
 ● The Poisonous Terrestrial Snakes of Our British Indian Dominions Including Ceylon and how to Recognise Them: With Symptoms of Snake Poisoning and Treatment (Bombay: 1917)
 ● A Monograph of the Sea Snakes (London: 1919)
 ● Notes on Some Ceylon Snakes (Bombay: 1921)
 ● Ophidia Taprobanica: Or, The Snakes of Ceylon (London: 1921)

Source: Wikipedia (Frank Wall (herpetologist))


This article has been read 12997 times.

Sponsored Link
Click to visit Sierra Fish and Pets
advertise here

New & Updated Business Listings

Looking for a reptile or amphibian related business? A reptile store, breeder, importer, maunfacturer or supplier? Our business directory lists some of the most popluar herp businesses in the world.
Locate a reptile or amphibian business by name:
New
Updated
list your business on kingsnake.com

Banner Pool

Click to visit Classifieds
advertise here - click for info

Click for 65% off Shipping with Reptiles 2 You Click here for Dragon Serpents Click to visit Classifieds
KINGSNAKE.COM

Enjoy all our content free of charge with a user account that gives you full access to every feature. For added visibility, paid options are available - post in our Classifieds, showcase your business with Banner Ads or a Directory listing, promote reptile events, and more.

Quick Links
Community
Legal & Safety
Support

Register for free ✓ Sign up!

Kingsnake.com ® is a registered trademark © 1997-