Collections, Loans & Visitors

The American Museum's collection of amphibians and reptiles ranks among the world's five largest herpetological collections. The separately catalogued collections of amphibians and reptiles total more than 335,000 specimens, of which more than 13,000 have more than one type of preparation.

The scope of the Herpetology collection is global. Aside from the United States, areas especially well represented include Mexico, Panama, much of South America, Africa, Madagascar, Pakistan, China, New Guinea, Australia, and the Pacific Islands.

The collection covers a very broad taxonomic range. All living orders and families of the Amphibia and Reptilia are represented, as are about 80% of the genera. The collection contains over 6900 species representing roughly 58% of the world's described herpetofauna. On average, 76 species names per year (range 20-171) have been added to the Herpetology files over the past 40 years, with approximately 2970 species or 25% of the estimated 12,000 world's total amphibians and reptiles having been added in a little over a quarter century.

The holdings of the Herpetology collection are computerized; however, inventorying the collection and proofing the database are on-going processes.

The Herpetology collection may be thought of as an ever-growing library of the world's amphibian and reptile faunas. It is an irreplaceable international resource that deserves the best of care.

Collection Goals

A statement of the Museum's policy governing the acquisition and disposition of specimens was approved by the Senate of the Scientific Staff, June 7, 1993 (the last published statement was in Curator 1974, vol. 17, pp. 83-90). We act within those guidelines while attempting to realize the following goals:

To acquire specimens of as many species of amphibians and reptiles as possible, in order to increase research potential of the collection on a global scale and to anticipate the needs of future generations of systematists.
To acquire collections from geographic regions where adequate collection in the foreseeable future may be difficult or impossible — as in regions undergoing profound ecological change (e.g., in tropical ecosystems).
To accumulate significant holdings in those taxonomic groups and geographic areas appropriate to the research interests of present staff.
To serve as a depository for voucher specimens upon request by outside investigators.
To accept existing collections of scientific value from institutions no longer dedicated to their care, subject to our ability to provide or to acquire the necessary financial support for the transportation and initial curating of such collections.

The American Museum collection ranks as one of the most heavily used herpetological resources in the world. Currently there are 281 outstanding loans comprising a total of 1622 specimens, which amount to approximately 1/2% of the entire collection at its current size.

In the last 39 years, a total of 69,389 specimens were sent out on loan, a number equivalent to 21% of the entire collection.

Many researchers visit the Department for the purpose of working with the collections. The collections have hosted more than 1400 research visitors in the last 27 years, averaging 52 visitors per year (range 19-102).

Special Specimen Collections

The majority of AMNH specimens are housed in the alcoholic collection; however, there are separate specialized collections and/or preparations.

Type Collection: 744 published primary types (holotypes, syntypes, cotypes, lectotypes, and neotypes). Paratypes are housed with non-type specimens.
Maximilian Collection: Some of the oldest specimens of amphibians and reptiles housed in the AMNH collection, having been purchased in 1870 by the AMNH from the estate of Prince Maximilian von Wied-Neuwied.
Larval Collection: Anuran larvae cataloged as lots and predominately stored in formalin. Approximately 18% of all anuran species are represented.
Skeleton and Cleared & Stained Collections: Approximately 30% of all species in the alcoholic collection are also represented by one or more kinds of skeletal preparations.
Hemipenes Collection: Synoptic collection consisting of copulatory organs from approximately 630 specimens of reptiles, but primarily consists of snake hemipenes.
Maxilla Collection: Synoptic collection consisting of maxilla from approximately 300 specimens of reptiles, primarily snakes.
Anatomical Collection: Uncataloged amphibians and reptiles, usually with nonspecific locality data, available for informal examination and/or dissections.
Chromosome, Histological and SEM Preparations: 1983 survey of holdings showed roughly 6500 slides of chromosomes from 2500 specimens of 259 species, representing 33 families of amphibians and reptiles. In addition various histological and SEM preparations are housed.
Tissue Collection: Approximately 6500 samples largely derived from vouchered specimens are stored in the American Museum Cryo-collection.

Non-Specimen Collections

Departmental Library: Houses the departmental research books, serials and reprints. Library material is the property of Herpetology and may not be removed from the department. Visitors are not allowed access and/or may not copy library material without curatorial approval (see Collection Visitation Policy).
Departmental Archives: Archives the departmental files, correspondence files, original and microfilmed AMNH Catalogs, field notes/journals of individual collectors and expeditions, catalogs of acquired collections, departmental card files, maps, 35 mm slides, photographic prints, and original artwork for publications. Archived material is the property of Herpetology and may not be removed from the department. Visitors are not allowed access and/or may not copy archival material without curatorial approval (see Collection Visitation Policy).
Tape Recordings: 1983 survey showed tape holdings for over 400 species of 77 genera of anurans, and a few sounds of salamanders and reptiles, with many African tapes waiting to be processed. The sound library is an important adjunct to the amphibian collection.

Collection Visitation Policy

All requests to visit the Herpetology collections (specimen, library, or archives) must be made in the form of a formal, hard-copy letter, received in the Department well in advance of any proposed visit. This letter must be on institutional letterhead, and state exactly when access is being requested, for how long, and what material is to be examined and why. A request from a student must be countersigned by the major professor or other responsible staff member who will assume responsibility for the student's visit.

Any examination of specimens that involves dissection and/or stress (e.g., pinning, prying open of mouths) must be explained in detail (see Dissection of Specimen Policy). All requests will be decided on a case-by-case basis, but permission to do destructive dissection is not granted routinely.

Any special considerations (e.g., microscopes, special lighting) which require departmental action should also be included with the request.

Data Request Policy

All requests for herpetological collection data require a formal, hard-copy letter. This letter must be on institutional letterhead, and state exactly what specimen data are being requested and why. A request from a student must be countersigned by the major professor or other responsible staff member.

Printouts are supplied for the sole purpose of indicating the nature and extent of particular holdings in this museum. These data are for the individual researcher's personal use, as originally requested. The Department of Herpetology requires that these data not be transferred to any institutional data-bases, or put to other uses without written permission.

The provided information should not be used as a primary data source. Outdated names and/or mistaken identifications or erroneous localities are likely to occur for various reasons — including degree of expertise of the determiners, length of time since this part of the collection was revised, and the on-going process of collection inventorying and proofing the database.

These are problems of all large museum collections. The curatorial staff of this department is alarmed at the practice of citing specimens and mapping localities from secondary sources, without verifying identifications.

Loan Policy

Requests for loans of herpetological specimens and/or tissues require a formal, hard-copy letter. This letter must be on institutional letterhead, and state exactly which specimens/tissues are being requested and why.

Loans are made only to institutions under the name of a permanent staff member of that institution, and specimens/tissues must not be moved to another address without prior written permission from the Department of Herpetology. A loan request from a student must be countersigned by the major professor or other responsible staff member who will assume responsibility for the specimens.

No more than one-half of our total specimens of a species will be lent at a time. The remainder may be requested after return of the first loan. All loans including international loans must be returned via UPS, FedEx or other such high quality carriers with tracking capability (registered/insured priority mail is not acceptable due to legality issues). Very fragile specimens, special preparations, or parts of synoptic collections (e.g., certain skeletal, larval, and hemipenial materials) will not ordinarily be lent. For specimens that cannot be lent, approved researchers may examine them at the AMNH (see Collection Visitation Policy).

Specimens may not be altered in any way without express written permission from the AMNH. Any products of preparation, such as DNA samples, SEM stubs, histological or karyotypic slides, etc., are regarded as part of the specimen and must also be returned unless specifically addressed in writing by the AMNH. Requests for permission to do dissection are not granted routinely but are decided on a case-by-case basis (see Dissection of Specimen Policy).

Loans are normally granted for 6 to 12 months (with a shorter period for types and rare material). Time extensions should be requested in writing before the loan termination date. In the absence of an extension request, a written inquiry will be done by the Department on outstanding loans extending past their termination date. Failure to respond to AMNH inquiries will result in an immediate termination of the loan and call-back of the material.

Loan Policy Conditions

The following conditions apply to all loans from the department of Herpetology:

All borrowed specimens must be stored to professionally accepted standards, including for AMNH specimens, amphibians and reptiles in 70% ethanol unless otherwise noted.
Loans are made to institutions, not individuals; therefore, specimens are not to be moved to another address without prior written permission from the AMNH.
Loan specimens may not be altered or dissected in any way without express written permission from the AMNH (if needed, see Dissection of Specimen Policy).
Loans are to be returned before the loan termination date. Requests for time extensions should be done in writing before this date. A written inquiry will be done by the AMNH on outstanding loans extending past their termination date. Failure to respond to these AMNH inquiries will result in an immediate termination of the loan and call-back of specimens.
Products of preparation, such as SEM stubs, histological or karyotypic slides, etc., are regarded as part of the specimens and must also be returned unless the loan agreement specifies otherwise.
Specimens being returned should be carefully packed in the same manner in which they were sent. All returns minimally must be sent via UPS, FedEx or other such high quality carriers with tracking capability (no insured, registered nor priority mail).
Original specimen labels or tags may not be cut off or revised in any way. Any suggested change(s) in specimen ID or data should be submitted in writing or noted on the AMNH invoice.
The borrower is requested to provide 2 copies of any publication resulting in part or whole from this loan.

Dissection of Specimen Policy

Use of preserved scientific specimens has increased greatly in recent years. This use is correlated not only with an increase in the number of workers, and new scientific approaches, but also with the decreasing availability of new material because of population declines and extinction due to habitat loss and commercial exploitation. The results are: (1) specimens of many species are now truly irreplaceable; and (2) competition has increased for access to the same specimens by multiple investigators, who often have different and mutually incompatible research objectives. The policy for dissection of AMNH herpetological specimens is therefore conservative and all modification or dissection of specimens requires prior approval by curatorial staff.

Requests for any dissection require a formal, hard-copy letter. This letter must be on institutional letterhead, and provide the objective of the study, why dissection is necessary, and plans for publication. In addition, it must state exactly what specimen is requested to dissect, the type and procedure of dissection, and the resulting effect on the specimen. Requests from students must be countersigned by their major professors, verifying that the student has already acquired competence in such procedures.

Minor dissections that are routinely necessary (e.g., sex determination) in taxonomic studies are likely to be granted to qualified investigators. Requests to do extensive dissection will normally be denied — unless the curatorial staff is convinced that specimens are unavailable in greater numbers elsewhere and that the dissections are necessary to solve a nontrivial systematic or evolutionary problem. There must be reasonable assurance that the study will be published in a refereed journal. Requests to open specimens for reproductive or food studies will not be routinely granted.

We regret that these regulations will inconvenience and disappoint some investigators.

Reserved AMNH Catalog Number Policy

The Department of Herpetology provides catalog numbers as promptly as possible for specimens being deposited as vouchers. Normally, these specimens must be sent directly to the AMNH so that proper tagging and cataloging may be assured; however, the Department also recognizes that investigators may in rare cases need a few catalog numbers (e.g., for type specimens) ahead of time. When absolutely necessary, the Department will oblige by sending catalog tags only under the following procedure:

Send complete data and relevant paperwork (e.g., letter of donation, copies of permits) for all specimens to be cataloged in the Department of Herpetology.
Specimens will be promptly cataloged and AMNH Amphibian or Reptile Collection numbers will be assigned. If there is special consideration needed in the assigning of catalog numbers, this information must be included with the complete data.
The AMNH number tags to be tied to specimens will be sent and handled as a Department of Herpetology Loan. Complete catalog data will be included on this invoice, to be verified by the investigator.
On receipt, the Loan Invoice white copy needs to be signed, dated, and returned. Return of this copy is confirmation that the AMNH herpetological tags have been tied to the specimens and that the corresponding catalog data are correct.

This procedure is a safeguard for the investigator, as it prevents duplicate assignment of catalog numbers and facilitates proper curation when the tagged specimens arrive to the Department of Herpetology.