Johann Natterer (November 9, 1787 - June 17, 1843) was an Austrian naturalist and explorer.
In 1817 Emperor Franz I 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). Natterer was the zoologist on the expedition, and was accompanied by other naturalists including Johann Baptist von Spix and Carl Friedrich Philipp von Martius. He remained in South America 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 Vienna museum. He did not publish an account of his travels, and his notebooks and diary were destroyed in a fire in 1848.
A number of animals are named after him, including Natterer's Slaty Antshrike and Natterer's Bat .
Last updated: 08-20-2005 06:09:29