Bobby Witcher

Who is Bobby Witcher?

Bobby Witcher was an American herpetologist best known for his carefree handling of venomous snakes. Born in Sweetwater, Texas in 1916, he was loved for his contagious enthusiasm for reptiles and amphibians. He met Dr. Dean “Doc” Metter and a contingent of herpetologists from the University of Missouri during a field trip in 1963. Doc and Bobby soon became close friends. Bobby’s colorful life and his death have been immortalized through the Bobby Witcher Society, with chapters throughout the United States, and the Bobby Witcher Memorial Scholarship*, both of which were founded by Drs. Metter and Carl Gerhardt, with support from Paul Brown, one of Metter’s graduate students. Dr. Robert Powell, another of Metter’s students, honored Bobby by naming the herpetology collection at Avila University, the Bobby Witcher Memorial Collection. Eimeria witcheri, a Coccidian parasite of the worm lizard, Amphisbaena manni, was named in honor of Bobby. Bobby’s legacy has inspired many herpetologists, and his scholarship has benefited numerous students. Bobby collected in the field for many years and freely shared his knowledge of herpetology.