The Herpetological Collections

Photo: Al Richmond

The primary focus of the collection is to support the Herpetology Course and other whole organism biology courses at the University of Massachusetts. Secondarily the collection is a repository for salvaged state listed species of amphibians and reptiles as well as the repository for all of the records for the Massachusetts Herpetological Atlas project.

The mission of the Herpetological Collections shall be to collect, preserve, interpret and make available for teaching and study materials related to herpetology of the New England Geographic Province and to promote the knowledge of the evolution, biodiversity, biogeography and natural history of amphibians and reptiles on Earth.

To accomplish this mission requires the curation and management of the herpetological collections in such a manner as to ensure that the existing osteological and wet collections are properly prepared, catalogued and stored so that a current inventory of existing specimens is always available and to insure that the specimens made available for teaching are of the highest possible quality.

The herpetology collection works collaboratively with other natural history collections within the department to promote undergraduate and graduate teaching in biological diversity and systematics.

The Herpetological collections shall also serve as a resource for regional natural history information for the public and regional agencies and organizations.

Size of Collection:

There nearly 8000 Massachusetts Herpetological Atlas Records. The most thorough inventory of state records from a given decade. In any collection anywhere. In addition there is an estimated. 2000 –3000 preserved, and osteological specimens. There are approximately 75 living specimens.

Photo: Al Richmond

Herpetological Goals

Collection goals, Immediate:

• Insure that the existing osteological and wet collections are properly maintained and stored;
• To identify weaknesses in the preserved and osteological collections;
• To advance the publication of the results of the Massachusetts Herpetological Atlas Project;
• Continue the ongoing efforts to ensure that all of the living specimens are housed in a manner that exceeds the minimum requirements set by the State and Federal Government agencies.

Collection goals over next 5 years:

Photo: Al Richmond

To fully catalogue and systematically organize the existing material. To attempt to alleviate the identified weaknesses in the collection by the restoration, replacement or judicious acquisition of specimens necessary to fill the existing gaps; To continue to update the Massachusetts Herpetological Atlas as new records are submitted.

Curator, Alan M. Richmond Ph.D.