James A. Peters: A Biographical Sketch 

 (1922-1972) 



Jim was a towering presence in mid-twentieth century herpetology. His 

 six foot four inch lanky frame was a standout in any herpetological gathering 

 throughout the forties and fifties, and only with the appearance of the larger 

 and hairier herp students of the sixties did he merge back into the crowd. 

 If not seen, he was still heard. 



Jim delighted in playing the devil's advocate, and, while he held many 

 opinions firmly, he was likely to take the opposite position just to keep a 

 verbal duel alive. It is difficult not to take your opponent's opinions 

 seriously when he towers over you, booms out his replies, and glares at you 

 through bottle-bottomed lenses -- that was Jim. 



Jim was born in Iowa, but spent most of his growing years in southern 

 Illinois. He was the son of a small-town doctor, and apparently tried to 

 keep his father busy by challenging his pals to feats of derring-do. In one 

 such challenge, Phil Smith was performing aerial acrobatics on an overhanging 

 tree limb. Phil spun, slipped, and fell to the sidewalk below. The landing 

 was on three or more points, and one of the points, an arm, broke. Jim 

 reassured Phil that all would be set right, because his dad was a doctor and 

 could fix anything. The arm was repaired, and Jim later received a stinging 

 reminder that his father did not desire Jim's assistance in producing patients. 



His life-long interest in snakes grew out of his friendship with Phil. 

 Phil and his cronies spent each spring and summer scouring the surrounding 

 fields, woods, and river bottoms for snakes and other scaly creatures. The 

 uncommon or unusual ones were brought home and installed in Phil's menagerie, 

 an old shed. In the mid-thirties, the Peters' family moved into a house a 

 half block away, and Jim became a regular visitor. Soon he was an avid 

 collector and was likely trying to outdo his snake-hunter friends. 



By f]igh school, Jim had gained local fame as an expert on snakes. His 

 reputation garnered him the opportunity to take his snake show on the road. 

 Thus, Jim joined the carnival circuit and spent the latter part of one summer 

 traveling from county fair to county fair. His snake show was one of the few 

 free items on the midway, a state-supported show aiming to educate as well as 

 entertain. Certainly it remained a fondly remembered summer, for Jim delighted 

 in demonstrating to his children his ability to read the cryptic carny road 

 signs posted each summer along the carnival routes. Likely, some of his 



footnote: I have tried not to duplicate information previously published 



about J. A. Peters. Further details may be found in The Washington 

 Post obituary (Thursday, Dec. 21, 1972), Copeia 1973(2):388-390, 

 anOiSS News -Journal 1(6): 187-188. 



