“Dragon Doctor”, Herpetologist, Artist, Designer and ZSL’s Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians – Virtual Issue celebrating Women in Zoology – Journal of Zoology Blog

By Ann Sylph

Librarian at the Zoological Society of London (now retired)

There are many ‘hidden’ or forgotten women who have made contributions to the development of zoology and animal conservation. A few have been highlighted already in our Virtual Issues on Women in Zoology.

During 2026, ZSL’s bicentenary year, as we are celebrating women in wildlife and conservation, this Virtual Issue highlights the work and legacy of Joan Beauchamp Procter, FZS, FLS, DSc. Joan was an important contributor to herpetology and a significant figure in ZSL’s history as the first woman Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians, only the second woman to be appointed to a curatorial position at ZSL. She sadly lived a relatively short life but achieved so much.

In this introduction, I usually refer to her as Joan. I want Joan to be regarded as serious, authoritative and professional, and I hope this is not undermined by my use of her first name, as this is certainly not my intention.

This Virtual Issue brings into focus Joan’s scientific contributions to herpetology by making freely accessible her scientific papers published in Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, now continued as Journal of Zoology. The papers were first presented at the Scientific Meetings of the Zoological Society, and then later published in the Proceedings. Joan was one of the first women to read her own papers at ZSL’s Meetings. Earlier papers by women were usually read by a man, although women could and did attend the meetings. These meetings continue today as series of talks on a topic in zoology or conservation, are taking place in-person, hybrid or online and are open to all. Do check the ZSL website for details of upcoming meetings, now called ZSL Science and Conservation events or ZSL Talks.

In her role as ZSL’s Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians, Joan was fortunate to be able to study live specimens, and these animals were frequently the subject of her papers. Before coming to ZSL, Joan had a role at the British Museum (Natural History), now the Natural History Museum, and her earlier papers were based on her research there. The Museum’s Keeper of Reptiles and Fish, George Boulenger, acted as a mentor to Joan encouraging her interests, as she joined him at the Museum when she left school. Joan experienced ill health throughout most of her life and was so unable to take up a place at Cambridge University.

When George retired, Joan took on part of his role at the Museum. She became friends with George’s son, Edward Boulenger, and moved to ZSL to help him with the new Aquarium. Soon after joining, she was promoted to the role of Curator of Reptiles and Amphibians. She spent the rest of her life working at ZSL introducing many innovations in animal care for the reptiles and amphibians in her charge, and she was also instrumental in supporting the plans to open Whipsnade Zoo, that was to be the largest zoo in the UK. Her major achievement was the innovative Reptile House which opened at London Zoo in 1926. The building continued to be used in this capacity for almost 100 years until 2024 , a true testament to her design. The building reopened in 2025 as ZooTown, an indoor, immersive role-play experience for children. A bust of Joan can be seen in the entrance lobby to ZooTown and she is also commemorated inside the exhibit by the Joan Procter Children’s Library.

Joan was a Fellow of the Linnean Society and the Zoological Society, and she was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree by the University of Chicago in 1931.

In this Virtual Issue celebrating her scientific achievements, Joan’s papers are listed in chronological order, the first published when she was 19 years of age, and the last in 1928, three years before her early death in 1931. For more about her life and other contributions to ZSL, do take a look at these blogs on ZSL’s website:

On the Variation of the Pit-Viper, Lachesis atrox. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1918, Volume 88, Issue 1-2, pp. 163-182. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1918.tb02080.x

• This is Joan’s first published paper, read when she was 19 years old and published the following year. Her manuscript version is kept in the ZSL Archives: https://zsl.maxarchiveservices.co.uk/. It is beautifully handwritten by Joan with corrections marked on it. She examined variation in South and Central American pit vipers.

On the Skull and Affinities of Rana subsigillata A. Dum. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1919, Volume 89, Issue 1-2, pp. 21-27. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1919.tb02109.x

• This article is a detailed anatomical description of the skull of a West African frog with a comparison with other species of Rana.

On the Variation in the Number of Dorsal Scale-rows in our British Snakes. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1919, Volume 89, Issue 3-4, pp. 357-364. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1919.tb02129.x

• In this paper, Joan studied the three snake species found in Britain, checking their dorsal rows of scales to see if they comply with ‘laws’ developed by Alexander Grant Ruthven, when he was studying North American garter snakes.

On a Collection of Tailless Batrachians from East Africa made by Mr. A. Loveridge in the years 1914–1919. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1920, Volume 90, Issue 3, pp. 411-420. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1920.tb07080.x

• Here Joan examined, described and identified 33 species of amphibians collected by Mr Loveridge in East Africa, two of which were species new to science. Thus, Joan was providing the scientific analysis of specimens collected by someone else. Mr Loveridge does comment that one of the specimens was not collected by himself but his un-named “boy”. So many people collected specimens across the world and so many of these are unidentified as in this case, or simply not mentioned at all. ZSL along with other organisations is keen to help uncover these “hidden histories”.

On the Type-Specimen of Rana holsti Boulenger. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1920, Volume 90, Issue 3, pp. 421-422. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1920.tb07081.x

• In this work, Joan dissected the “right-hand” of the type specimen of this frog to disprove a paper stating that the female frog had a “well-developed dagger”.

On the Variation of the Scapula in the Batrachian Groups Aglossa and Arcifera. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1921, Volume 91, Issue 2, pp. 197-214. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1921.tb03259.x

• Here Joan studied the scapula in various extinct and extant species of frogs, developing a key to aid identification.

A Study of the Remarkable Tortoise, Testudo loveridgii Blgr., and the Morphogeny of the Chelonian Carapace. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1922, Volume 92, Issue 3, pp. 483-526. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1922.tb02155.x

• This paper presents a detailed and extensive study by Joan of this “remarkable” soft-shelled tortoise which can squeeze into small spaces as it has such a flexible carapace. Again the living specimens were collected by Mr Loveridge and his “native collector”, and he includes some observations from finding them in the field and watching them in an enclosure.

In these next three papers Joan described several species new to science in each.

On New and Rare Reptiles from South America. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1923, Volume 93, Issue 4, pp. 1061-1067. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1923.tb02220.x

• Two collections of reptiles were identified and described by Joan in this article, where she also named two new species: a snake that she named Oxybetis boulengeri after her mentor George Boulenger, and a worm lizard named after ZSL’s Secretary, Sir Peter Chalmers Mitchell, as Amphisbaena mitchelli.

On New and Rare Reptiles and Batrachians from the Australian Region. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1923, Volume 93, Issue 4, pp. 1069-1077. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1923.tb02221.x

• This paper presents collections of reptiles and amphibians described and listed by Joan, that had been collected in New Guinea, Queensland and South Australia. The specimens had been presented to the British Museum (Natural History), now the Natural History Museum. Joan focussed on describing the rare and the new species. One snake from New Guinea she names after her former assistant, Mr C. J. Battersby, Lygosoma battersbyi.

Unrecorded Characters seen in Living Snakes, and Description of a new Tree-Frog. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1924, Volume 94, Issue 4, pp. 1125-1129. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1924.tb03333.x

• In this paper, Joan describes a variety of unusual characteristics in a snake, as well as describing a tree frog. The article features an albino cobra on loan to London Zoo’s Reptile House; examples of “neck inflation in snakes”; the grey-green/white tongue of a silvery tree-snake; and a new species of tree-frog from Queensland. Joan named the tree-frog Hyla blandsuttoni after Sir John Bland-Sutton, who became the Vice-President of ZSL in 1928.

Notes on the Nests of some African Frogs. Proceedings of the Zoological Society, 1925, Volume 95, Issue 3, pp. 909-910. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1925.tb07110.x

• Joan reports on a letter she had received from Mr Walsh Roe of Capetown who observed ground nests of frogs, possibly Arthroleptis lightfootii, the tadpoles of which have no free swimming stage and remain in the jelly. She received letters from a variety of people from across the world and we have examples of these in ZSL’s Archives. In the same paper she reports on a nest of Chiromantis tree frogs collected in Tanzania by Mr Loveridge. These frogs are in the family Ranidae rather than Hylidae, the family of true tree frogs. She describes how the eggs are laid on twigs inside foam where they develop and undergo metamorphosis.

A Note on an Albino Grass-Snake. Proceedings of the Zoological Society, 1926, Volume 96, Issue 4, pp. 1095-1096. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.1926.tb02235.x

• This paper reports on another albino snake, this time a grass snake. The paper is accompanied by an illustration by Mr Green which aimed to capture the colours while the snake was alive. It had been found by a Mrs Durtnell in her garden, thinking it was a viper. She caught it and took it to London Zoo where it was subsequently housed in the Reptile House.

On the Remarkable Gecko Palmatogecko rangei Andersson Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1928, Volume 98, Issue 4, pp. 917-922. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1928.tb07172.x

• This is a very detailed paper describing a species of gecko from the Kalahari, and it is accompanied by a beautiful illustration of the gecko. ZSL Library and Archives hold the original drawing by Joan and this acted as the basis for the plate reproduced in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. She made the drawing based on four live specimens. Joan was a talented artist and designer but unfortunately little of her artwork is reproduced in the Proceedings.

On a living Komodo Dragon Varanus komodoensis Ouwens, exhibited at the Scientific Meeting, October 23, 1928. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1928, Volume 98, Issue 4, pp. 1017-1019. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7998.1928.tb07181.x

• ZSL had acquired two Komodo dragons 18 months before this Scientific Meeting on 23^rd October, 1928. They had been kept and studied in the newly opened Reptile House designed by Joan. Wanting to disprove the myths about the danger posed by Komodo dragons, she took one, a female named “Sumbawa”, to the Meeting where, “uncaged and unchained”, the dragon walked along a table whilst being hand fed and petted by Joan.