Louis Heyns Du Preez (born 9 July 1962) is a South African professor of zoology who specialises in parasitology and herpetology at the North-West University. Du Preez is best known for his research on South African frog species, writing a widely used wildlife guide for the frogs of Southern Africa, and contributions to global parasitology with special focus studies on polystome worms. His contributions to polystome research have led to a recently discovered Malagasy frog species, Blommersia dupreezi, being named in his honour.

Biography
Du Preez grew up in Ficksburg and started his tertiary education at the University of the Free State located in the same province he was brought up. In 1986 he obtained his Master of Science degree with the thesis titled 'Polystoma australis (Monogenea): aspekte van ontwikkeling en gedrag wat betrekking het op rekrutering en vestiging'.

From 1989 to 1990 he was a school teacher in Bloemfontein. From 1991 to 1993 he was Head of the Department of Herpetology at the National Museum in Bloemfontein. In 1994 he obtained a PhD degree from the University of the Free State with a thesis titled 'Study of factors influencing the nature and extent of host-specificity among polystomatids (Polystomatidae: Monogenoidea) parasitic in Anura of southern Africa' under the mentorship of Dawid Kok. Du Preez then progressed to being the Senior Lecturer of Zoology at the University of the Free State from 1996 to 2000. From 2001 to 2004 he was appointed associate professor. In 2002 he established the African Amphibian Research Conservation Group and was later promoted Full Professor of Zoology in 2005 at North-West University. In 2011 du Preez was elected Chair of the Zoology Department at North-West University.

Throughout his career he has conducted research in several countries across the world including France, United States, Nigeria, Brazil and China. He is a member of the Zoological Society of Southern Africa, the Herpetological Association of Africa, the Suid-Afrikaanse Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns, the Parasitological Association of Southern Africa and the Microscopy Association of Africa.

Publications
Louis du Preez published several books and over 100 scientific articles. In addition to several parasite, frog, and reptile species that are new to science, du Preez's species descriptions include the frog species Breviceps carruthersi and Breviceps passmorei from the Rain Frog family (Brevicipitidae), and Hyperolius howelli from the Reed Frog family (Hyperoliidae).

Books
 Field guide and key to the frogs & toads of the Free State, 1996 (ISBN: 9780868865492)
 Field Guide to the frogs and toads of the Vredefort Dome World Heritage Site, 2006 (ISBN 9781868225170)
 Bios: an integrated approach to life sciences teaching and learning, 2007 (ISBN 9781920140069)
 A complete guide to the frogs of Southern Africa, 2009; 2015 (ISBN 9781770074460; 1389949244)
 Frogs and frogging in South Africa, 2011 (ISBN 9781770079144)
 Turtle Polystomes of the world: Neopolystoma, Polystomoidella & Polystomoides, 2011 (ISBN 9783639365177)
 A Bilingual Field Guide to the Frogs of Zululand (or Isiqondiso Sasefilidini Esindimimbili Ngamaxoxo AkwelaKwaZulu in IsiZulu), 2017 (ISBN 9781928224198)
 Frogs of Southern Africa: a complete guide, 2017 (ISBN 9781775846369)

Scientific publications
 Du Preez, Louis H., and Dawid J. Kok. "Syntopic occurrence of new species of Polystoma and Metapolystoma (Monogenea: Polystomatidae) in Ptychadena porosissima in South Africa." Systematic Parasitology 22.2 (1992): 141–150. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00009606
 Du Preez, Louis H., and Dawid J. Kok. "Supporting experimental evidence of host specificity among southern African polystomes (Polystomatidae: Monogenea)." Parasitology Research 83 (1997): 558–562. https://doi.org/10.1007/s004360050297
 Du Preez, LH, and L. H. S. Lim. "Neopolystoma liewi sp. n.(Monogenea: Polystomatidae) from the eye of the Malayan box turtle (Cuora amboinensis)." Folia Parasitologica 47.1 (2000): 11–15. https://folia.paru.cas.cz/pdfs/fol/2000/01/03.pdf
 Verneau, Olivier, et al. "A view of early vertebrate evolution inferred from the phylogeny of polystome parasites (Monogenea: Polystomatidae)." Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences 269.1490 (2002): 535–543. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2001.1899
 Weldon, Ché, et al. "Origin of the amphibian chytrid fungus." Emerging Infectious Diseases 10.12 (2004): 2100. https://doi.org/10.3201%2Feid1012.030804
 Du Preez, Louis H., and Milton F. Maritz. "Demonstrating morphometric protocols using polystome marginal hooklet measurements." Systematic Parasitology 63.1 (2006): 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11230-005-5496-5
 Mendelson III, Joseph R., et al. "Confronting amphibian declines and extinctions." Science 313.5783 (2006): 48–48. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1128396
 Andreone, Franco, et al. "The challenge of conserving amphibian megadiversity in Madagascar." PLOS Biology 6.5 (2008): e118. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0060118
 Du Preez, Louis H., et al. "Reproduction, larval growth, and reproductive development in African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) exposed to atrazine." Chemosphere 71.3 (2008): 546–552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2007.09.051
 Petzold, Alice, et al. "A revision of African helmeted terrapins (Testudines: Pelomedusidae: Pelomedusa), with descriptions of six new species." Zootaxa 3795.5 (2014): 523–548. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3795.5.2
 Meyer, Leon, et al. "Parasite host-switching from the invasive American red-eared slider, Trachemys scripta elegans, to the native Mediterranean pond turtle, Mauremys leprosa, in natural environments." Aquatic Invasions 10.1 (2015): 79–91. https://dx.doi.org/10.3391/ai.2015.10.1.08
 Du Preez, Louis H., and Michelle Van Rooyen. "A new polystomatid (Monogenea, Polystomatidae) from the mouth of the North American freshwater turtle Pseudemys nelsoni." ZooKeys 539 (2015): 1. https://doi.org/10.3897%2Fzookeys.539.6108
 Du Preez, Louis H., and Olivier Verneau. "Eye to eye: classification of conjunctival sac polystomes (Monogenea: Polystomatidae) revisited with the description of three new genera Apaloneotrema ng, Aussietrema ng and Fornixtrema ng." Parasitology Research 119.12 (2020): 4017–4031. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-020-06888-w
 Du Preez, Louis Heyns, Marcus Vinícius Domingues, and Olivier Verneau. "Classification of pleurodire polystomes (Platyhelminthes, Monogenea, Polystomatidae) revisited with the description of two new genera from the Australian and Neotropical Realms." International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife 19 (2022): 180–186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijppaw.2022.09.004
 Landman, Willem, et al. "Metapolystoma ohlerianum n. sp.(Monogenea: Polystomatidae) from Aglyptodactylus madagascariensis (Anura: Mantellidae)." Acta Parasitologica (2023): 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11686-023-00668-z
 Verneau, Olivier, Gerald R. Johnston, and Louis Du Preez. "A quantum leap in the evolution of platyhelminths: Host-switching from turtles to hippopotamuses illustrated from a phylogenetic meta-analysis of polystomes (Monogenea, Polystomatidae)." International Journal for Parasitology 53.5–6 (2023): 317–325. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2023.03.001

Species descriptions
Du Preez has described or contributed to the description of at least 24 polystome species, 8 polystome genera, and more than 10 other non-polystome parasite species that have frogs or reptiles as their hosts. In herpetology, du Preez has described or contributed to the description of at least 20 new frog species and 6 reptile species.

Amphibians
 Breviceps carruthersi Du Preez, Netherlands, and Minter, 2017
 Breviceps passmorei Minter, Netherlands, and Du Preez, 2017
 Gephyromantis cornucopia Miralles, Köhler, Glaw, Wollenberg Valero, Crottini, Rosa, Du Preez, Gehring, Vieites, Ratsoavina, and Vences, 2023
 Gephyromantis feomborona Miralles, Köhler, Glaw, Wollenberg Valero, Crottini, Rosa, Du Preez, Gehring, Vieites, Ratsoavina, and Vences, 2023
 Gephyromantis fiharimpe Vences, Köhler, Crottini, Hofreiter, Hutter, Du Preez, Preick, Rakotoarison, Rancilhac, Raselimanana, Rosa, Scherz, and Glaw, 2022
 Gephyromantis kremenae Miralles, Köhler, Glaw, Wollenberg Valero, Crottini, Rosa, Du Preez, Gehring, Vieites, Ratsoavina, and Vences, 2023
 Gephyromantis mafifeo Miralles, Köhler, Glaw, Wollenberg Valero, Crottini, Rosa, Du Preez, Gehring, Vieites, Ratsoavina, and Vences, 2023
 Gephyromantis matsilo Vences, Köhler, Crottini, Hofreiter, Hutter, Du Preez, Preick, Rakotoarison, Rancilhac, Raselimanana, Rosa, Scherz, and Glaw, 2022
 Gephyromantis mitsinjo Miralles, Köhler, Glaw, Wollenberg Valero, Crottini, Rosa, Du Preez, Gehring, Vieites, Ratsoavina, and Vences, 2023
 Gephyromantis oelkrugi Vences, Köhler, Crottini, Hofreiter, Hutter, Du Preez, Preick, Rakotoarison, Rancilhac, Raselimanana, Rosa, Scherz, and Glaw, 2022
 Gephyromantis portonae Vences, Köhler, Crottini, Hofreiter, Hutter, Du Preez, Preick, Rakotoarison, Rancilhac, Raselimanana, Rosa, Scherz, and Glaw, 2022
 Gephyromantis pedronoi Vences, Köhler, Andreone, Craul, Crottini, Du Preez, Preick, Rancilhac, Rödel, Scherz, Streicher, Hofreiter, and Glaw, 2021
 Gephyromantis sergei Miralles, Köhler, Glaw, Wollenberg Valero, Crottini, Rosa, Du Preez, Gehring, Vieites, Ratsoavina, and Vences, 2023
 Hyperolius friedemanni Mercurio and Rödel in Channing, Hillers, Lötters, Rödel, Schick, Conradie, Rödder, Mercurio, Wagner, Dehling, Du Preez, Kielgast, and Burger, 2013
 Hyperolius howelli Du Preez and Channing, 2013
 Hyperolius inyangae Channing in Channing, Hillers, Lötters, Rödel, Schick, Conradie, Rödder, Mercurio, Wagner, Dehling, Du Preez, Kielgast, and Burger, 2013
 Hyperolius jacobseni Channing in Channing, Hillers, Lötters, Rödel, Schick, Conradie, Rödder, Mercurio, Wagner, Dehling, Du Preez, Kielgast, and Burger, 2013
 Hyperolius lupiroensis Channing in Channing, Hillers, Lötters, Rödel, Schick, Conradie, Rödder, Mercurio, Wagner, Dehling, Du Preez, Kielgast, and Burger, 2013
 Hyperolius rwandae Dehling, Sinsch, Rodel, and Channing in Channing, Hillers, Lötters, Rödel, Schick, Conradie, Rödder, Mercurio, Wagner, Dehling, Du Preez, Kielgast, and Burger, 2013
 Tomopterna adiastola Channing and Du Preez, 2020

Reptiles
 Pelomedusa barbata Petzold, Vargas-Ramírez, Kehlmaier, Vamberger, Branch, Du Preez, Hofmeyr, Meyer, Schleicher, Široký, and Fritz, 2014
 Pelomedusa kobe Petzold, Vargas-Ramírez, Kehlmaier, Vamberger, Branch, Du Preez, Hofmeyr, Meyer, Schleicher, Široký & Fritz, 2014
 Pelomedusa neumanni Petzold, Vargas-Ramírez, Kehlmaier, Vamberger, Branch, Du Preez, Hofmeyr, Meyer, Schleicher, Široký & Fritz, 2014
 Pelomedusa schweinfurthi Petzold, Vargas-Ramírez, Kehlmaier, Vamberger, Branch, Du Preez, Hofmeyr, Meyer, Schleicher, Široký & Fritz, 2014
 Pelomedusa somalica Petzold, Vargas-Ramírez, Kehlmaier, Vamberger, Branch, Du Preez, Hofmeyr, Meyer, Schleicher, Široký & Fritz, 2014
 Pelomedusa variabilis Petzold, Vargas-Ramírez, Kehlmaier, Vamberger, Branch, Du Preez, Hofmeyr, Meyer, Schleicher, Široký & Fritz, 2014

Nematodes
 Amphibiophilus bialatus Svitin, Kuzmin, Harnoster & Du Preez, 2020
 Amphibiophilus mooiensis Svitin & Du Preez, 2018
 Camallanus sodwanaensis Svitin, Truter, Kudlai, Smit & Du Preez, 2019
 Cosmocerca daly Harnoster, du Preez & Svitin, 2022
 Cosmocerca monicae Harnoster, du Preez & Svitin, 2022
 Cosmocerca makhadoensis Harnoster, du Preez & Svitin, 2022
 Pseudocapillaria (Ichthyocapillaria) bumpi Svitin, Bullard, Dutton, Netherlands, Syrota, Verneau & du Preez, 2021
 Serpinema cayennense Harmoster, Svitin & Du Preez, 2019
 Rhabdias delangei Kuzmin, Svitin, Harnoster & du Preez, 2020
 Rhabdias blommersiae Kuzmin, Junker, du Preez & Bain, 2013

Flatworms
 Aussietrema queenslandense (Pichelin, 1995) Du Preez & Verneau, 2020
 Aussietrema spratti (Pichelin, 1995) Du Preez & Verneau, 2020
 Emoleptalea mozambiquensis Curran, Dutton, Warren, du Preez & Bullard, 2021
 Eupolystoma namibiense Du Preez, 2015
 Fornixtrema elizabethae (Platt, 2000) Du Preez & Verneau, 2020
 Fornixtrema guianense (Du Preez, Badets, Héritier & Verneau, 2017) Du Preez & Verneau, 1920
 Fornixtrema liewi (Du Preez & Lim, 2000) Du Preez & Verneau, 2020
 Fornixtrema grossi (Du Preez & Morrison, 2012) Du Preez & Verneau, 2020
 Fornixtrema palpebrae (Strelkov, 1950) Du Preez & Verneau, 2020
 Fornixtrema scorpioides (Du Preez, Badets, Héritier & Verneau, 2017) Du Preez & Verneau, 2020
 Indopolystoma hakgalense (Crusz & Ching, 1975) Chaabane, Verneau & Du Preez, 2019
 Indopolystoma indicum (Diengdoh & Tandon, 1991) Chaabane, Verneau & Du Preez, 2019
 Indopolystoma parvum Chaabane, Verneau & Du Preez, 2019
 Indopolystoma viridi Chaabane, Verneau & Du Preez, 2019
 Indopolystoma zuoi (Shen, Wang & Fan, 2013) Chaabane, Verneau & Du Preez, 2019
 Manotrema brasiliensis (Viera, Novelli, Sousa & SouzaLima, 2008) du Preez, Domingues & Verneau, 2022
 Manotrema fuquesi (Mañe-Garzón & Gil, 1962) du Preez, Domingues & Verneau, 2022
 Manotrema uruguayensis (Mañe-Garzón & Gil, 1961) du Preez, Domingues & Verneau, 2022
 Metapolystoma ansuanum Landman, Verneau, Raharivololoniaina & Du Preez, 2021
 Metapolystoma falcatum Landman, Verneau, Raharivololoniaina & Du Preez, 2021
 Metapolystoma multiova Landman, Verneau, Raharivololoniaina & Du Preez, 2021
 Metapolystoma ohlerianum Landman, Verneau, Vences & Du Preez, 2023
 Metapolystoma porosissimae Du Preez & Kok, 1992
 Metapolystoma theroni Landman, Verneau, Raharivololoniaina & Du Preez, 2021
 Metapolystoma vencesi Landman, Verneau, Raharivololoniaina & Du Preez, 2021
 Nanopolystoma brayi Du Preez, Wilkinson & Huyse, 2008
 Nanopolystoma lynchi Du Preez, Wilkinson & Huyse, 2008
 Nanopolystoma tinsleyi Du Preez, Badets & Verneau, 2014
 Pleurodirotrema chelodinae (MacCallum, 1918) du Preez, Domingues & Verneau, 2022
 Pleurodirotrema macleayi (Rohde, 1984) du Preez, Domingues & Verneau, 2022
 Pleurodirotrema novaeguineae (Fairfax, 1990) du Preez, Domingues & Verneau, 2022
 Polystoma goeldii Sales, Du Preez, Verneau & Domingues, 2022
 Polystoma knoffi Du Preez & Domingues, 2019
 Polystoma okomuensis Aisien, Du Preez & Imasuen, 2010
 Polystoma testimagnum Du Preez & Kok, 1993
 Polystoma travassosi Du Preez & Domingues, 2019
 Polystomoides cayensis (Du Preez, Badets, Héritier & Verneau, 2017) Chaabane, Du Preez, Johnston & Verneau, 2022
 Polystomoides aspidonectis (MacCallum, 1919) Chaabane, Du Preez, Johnston & Verneau, 2022
 Polystomoides cayensis (Du Preez, Badets, Héritier & Verneau, 2017) Chaabane, Du Preez, Johnston & Verneau, 2022
 Polystomoides cyclovitellum (Caballero, Zerecero & Grocott, 1957) Chaabane, Du Preez, Johnston & Verneau, 2022
 Polystomoides domitilae (Caballero, 1938) Chaabane, Du Preez, Johnston & Verneau, 2022
 Polystomoides euzeti (Combes & Ktari, 1976) Chaabane, Du Preez, Johnston & Verneau, 2022
 Polystomoides orbiculare (Stunkard, 1916) Chaabane, Du Preez, Johnston & Verneau, 2022
 Polystomoides rugosa (MacCallum, 1918) Chaabane, Du Preez, Johnston & Verneau, 2022
 Polystomoides scriptanus Héritier, Verneau, Smith, Coetzer & Du Preez, 2017
 Polystomoides soredensis Héritier, Verneau, Smith, Coetzer & Du Preez, 2017
 Polystomoides terrapenis (Harwood, 1932) Chaabane, Du Preez, Johnston & Verneau, 2022
 Uteropolystomoides multifalx (Stunkard, 1924) Chaabane, Du Preez, Johnston & Verneau, 2022

Awards
1994: W.O. Neitz medal for the best dissertation in parasitology by the Parasitological Association of Southern Africa.

References

External links
 Profile on Namibiana
 

Living people
1962 births
Science bibliographies
Biology books
University of the Free State alumni
Academic staff of North-West University
South African herpetologists
South African parasitologists