Richard Highton (born December 24, 1927) is an American herpetologist,[1][2] an expert on the biological classification of woodland salamanders.
In 1950 he was awarded a bachelor's degree in biology, mathematics and sociology from New York University, with his studies interrupted by military service.
[4] A field visit to the southern Appalachians mountains in 1948 with Carl Gans was the start of his work on salamanders.
[4] In 1956 he joined the Zoology Department University of Maryland College Park, with emphasis on genetics and is currently Professor Emeritus in Biology.
[2][4] Since 1999 he has been a member of the Committee on Standard and English Scientific Names for North American Amphibians and Reptiles.