Jeanette Adelaide Covacevich (1945–2015) was a herpetologist in Queensland, Australia. As a senior curator of vertebrates at the Queensland Museum, she discovered and studied many reptiles and frogs in Queensland. Covacevich is most famous for rediscovering and describing the Inland Taipan snake (Oxyuranus microlepidotus), the world's most venomous snake. In addition, she described over thirty new species and genera including the Cape York striped blind snake (Ramphotyphlops chamodracaena), the Nangur spiny skink (Nangura spinosa), and the Bulburin leaf-tailed gecko (Phyllurus caudiannulatus).

On 12 June 1995 she was awarded the Member of the Order of Australia for her contribution to science, in particular for herpetology and conservation.

Jeanette Covacevich

Covacevich is commemorated in the scientific name of a species of earthworm, Terriswalkerius covacevichae; the Australian spiders, Zophorame covacevichae and Kababina covacevichae; the Australian frog, Pseudophryne covacevichae; and the Australian gecko, Amalosia jacovae (J. A. Cov. + Latin suffix -ae).

Jeanette Covacevich

References

1945 births

2015 deaths

People from Innisfail, Queensland

Australian herpetologists

Women herpetologists

Australian women biologists

Members of the Order of Australia

20th-century Australian women scientists

20th-century Australian zoologists

21st-century Australian women scientists

21st-century Australian zoologists

Australian curators

Australian women curators

Jeanette Covacevich