Division of Amphibians and Reptiles
- Imantodes cenchoa Ecuador, Pastaza Province. Photographed by William W. Lamar.
The Division of Amphibians and Reptiles is devoted to herpetology, the scientific study of amphibians and reptiles, and to building and maintaining preserved collections of those animals, which are used in research by the staff of the Division as well as herpetologists throughout the world. Researchers in the Division of Amphibians and Reptiles specialize in systematic herpetology, the branch of the science that attempts to determine what are the species of amphibians and reptiles and how those species are related to one another as parts of larger taxonomic groups. The National Collection of Amphibians and Reptiles is among the largest and most important herpetological collections in the world, consisting of more than one-half million specimens and many thousands of type specimens, which serve a critical function concerning the scientific names of amphibians and reptiles.
The Division of Amphibians and Reptiles consists of four basic components:
- The Collections: preserved and dry specimens of amphibians and reptiles and special collections of specimen-related objects such as audiotapes, photographs, histological slides, and tissue samples.
- Data: records of when, where, how, and who collected the specimens.
- Staff: people that manage the collections and investigate the biology of amphibians and reptiles.
- Library: specialized literature on amphibian and reptile biology.
Featured Online Lecture
Snakes: Local & Exotic - Dr. George R. Zug presented this informative lecture in June 2008 at the NMNH Naturalist Center in Loudon County, Virginia.
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