Herpetology
In 1923 the newly opened San Diego Zoo asked Klauber to identify several species of snake they acquired. Even though reptiles were not much more than a hobby to him at the time, he took the job and eventually became Curator of Reptiles at the zoo. In that position, he dedicated the following 35 years of his life to the study of reptiles, and rattlesnakes in particular. The end result of that incredible amount of time and amassed data was his magnum opus, a two volume set of books entitled Rattlesnakes: Their Habits, Life Histories and Influence on Mankind, which he published in 1956. It is still considered to be the most complete and authoritative resource ever written on rattlesnakes.
In his research and field work, he is credited with identifying 53 new taxa of reptiles and amphibians (such as Arizona elegans candida, Chionactis palarostris, Pituophis catenifer pumilis, and Charina bottae umbratica) and has been recognized by his fellow herpetologists by having had 14 new taxa named after him (such as Crotalus lepidus klauberi, Ensatina eschscholtzii klauberi, Hypsiglena torquata klauberi, and Sphaerodactylus klauberi). He donated approximately 36,000 specimens to the San Diego Natural History Museum, and his personal library and notes were donated there upon his death.
Read more about this topic: Laurence Monroe Klauber