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A separate Division of Amphibians and Reptiles was established at The Field Museum in 1921. Prior to that time, the ichthyology and herpetology collections had been administered by the same curators. The arrival of Karl Patterson Schmidt in 1922, as the first curator of the Division, signaled the beginning of significant expansion of the collection in terms of size, geographic scope and taxonomic diversity. When Schmidt's tenure began, the herpetology collection consisted of less than 8,000 specimens, representing approximately 3,245 catalog entries. By 1941 when he became Chief Curator of Zoology, the collection had increased to about 50,000 specimens representing 36,612 catalog entries. The collection currently contains over 287,000 specimens and 267,700 catalog entries. Amphibians represent 148,615 catalog entries (55% of all entries) and reptiles represent 119,085 catalog entries (45% of all entries). The bulk of the collection is preserved in fluid (98%) and stored in more than 24,000 jars and 93 stainless steel tanks. The collection serves as a major research resource for the national and international scientific community, and it contains unique material of special historical and ecological significance. It has been recognized as one of the five largest and most representative collections of amphibians and reptiles in the United States (Wake et al. 1975). Collection use has been growing steadily. Loan requests, visits by researchers, and information requests are at or near record levels. A substantial portion of the growth of the collection was the result of the field programs of past and current curators. Karl P. Schmidt conducted fieldwork in Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Peru, Chile, Galapagos Islands, Guatemala, Panama, Belize, Honduras, Mexico, West Indies, Arizona, Texas, Illinois and the islands of the Pacific. Clifford H. Pope's field efforts, while at The Field Museum, were directed towards plethodontid salamanders in Mexico, California, and the eastern United States. By contrast, Robert F. Inger and Harold K. Voris have conducted their field programs in the Old World, specifically Asia and the Indo-Australian region. However, strategic purchases, long-standing open exchange programs, sponsorship of field collectors, and networking, particularly by Curator Emeritus Hymen Marx, which resulted in the donation of substantial collections, have added to the depth and breadth of divisional holdings. Significant accessions, measured in terms of quantity and quality, include Inger's Bornean material, Voris' hydrophiid material, the Harry Hoogstraal collections from East Africa through Turkey, the Sherman C. Bishop collection (including the University of Rochester collection), and the massive Edward H. Taylor collection. The Edward H. Taylor collection was the single, largest collection received from an external source. This 35,000-specimen collection, which included material from Mexico, Costa Rica, the Philippines, Thailand, Liberia and Kansas, added to the taxonomic, geographic and typic diversity of the Division's collection. Of particular note is that Taylor, Hobart M. Smith and others published extensively on large parts of this collection. The entire herpetological collection was moved from the third floor to the ground floor location in 1952 and 1953. Serious overcrowding due to tremendous increases in the size of the collection necessitated the initial move from the third floor and three separate ground floor expansions beginning in the late 1970's. The last ground floor expansion occurred in 1994. In 2006, the collection was moved to the newly constructed Collection Research Center (CRC). Temperature and humidity controlled compactorized storage in the CRC provides ample space for satisfactory housing of the existing collections and a comfortable measure of expansion potential for future growth. Geographic Coverage-The collection is global in origin and almost equally divided between the New World and Old World (49.3% and 50.4% respectively). The breakdown of collection holdings by major geographic area is: North America (32.9% of catalog entries), Indo-Australia (20.9%), Asia (15.4%), South America (10.4%), Africa (9.0%), Central America (4.7%), Australia (2.7%), Caribbean (1.2%), Pacific (0.9%), Europe (0.6%), Madagascar (0.5%), Atlantic Ocean (0.3%), and Indian Ocean (0.1%). Some of the strongest foreign holdings (major collectors/donors in parentheses) are from Australia (David Liem, William Hosmer); Malaysia (Robert F. Inger, Harold K. Voris, Edward O. Moll); Philippine Islands (Dioscoro S. Rabor, Harold Hoogstraal); Thailand (Edward H. Taylor, W. Ronald Heyer, Robert F. Inger); Taiwan (Robert F. Kuntz); China (Cheng-chao Liu, Clifford H. Pope, Robert F. Inger); Egypt (Harold Hoogstraal); Colombia (Federico M. Medem, Kjell von Sneidern); Chile (Tomás Cekalovic K., Luis E. Peña); Peru (John E. Cadle, Karl P. Schmidt, Luis E. Peña, Felix Woytkowski); Mexico (Edward H. Taylor, Hobart M. Smith, Clifford H. Pope, Ernest G. Marsh, Howard B. Shaffer, James Hanken); and Central America (Karl P. Schmidt, Harold Trapido, Edward H. Taylor, Emmett R. Dunn). The Division's Malaysian collections undoubtedly constitute the largest accumulation of preserved Malaysian herpetofauna in the world. Additional areas of strength include Brazil, Sri Lanka, India, South Africa, Tanzania, Zaire, and southwestern Asia. The total number of catalog entries from the United States is approximately 49,500. States representing from five to ten percent of this total include (ranked highest to lowest): Illinois, New York, Texas, North Carolina, Mississippi and Indiana. Significant collections of United States material were made by or received from the following individuals (states given in parentheses): Sherman C. Bishop (New York); Denzel Ferguson (Mississippi); Edmund Heller and Sherman C. Bishop (California); and Walter Stille (Illinois and Indiana). Systematic Coverage-The collection contains 6,229 species, 1,136 genera, 88 families and 9 orders and suborders. These constitute 86% of the genera, 99% of the families, and 100% of the orders and suborders recorded by Myers (1988). The taxonomic breadth of the collection is revealed by comparing the number of species in the collection to the total number of extant species as recognized by Halliday and Adler (1986) for amphisbaenians, lizards, and snakes; Iverson (1992) for turtles; King and Burke (1989) and Ross (1990) for crocodilians; Daugherty et al. (1990) for rhynchocephalians; and Duellman (1993) for amphibians. The Field Museum's herpetological collections contain approximately 56% of the 11,084 extant species of reptiles and amphibians. The breakdown of collection holdings by order or suborder is: frogs (42.6% of catalog entries), salamanders (12.4%), caecilians (0.25%), turtles (1.97%), rhynchocephalians (0.006%), lizards (26.4%), snakes (16.0%), amphisbaenians (0.16%) and crocodilians (0.26%). Frogs-The frog collection contains representatives of all families, 80% of all genera, and approximately 51% of all species. Much of the diversity and quantity of the frog collection is due to the field work of Robert Inger in Malaysia, Thailand, China, India and Zaire. Particularly significant also are the collections made in western China by Cheng-chao Liu and studied by him while resident in the Division during 1946 and 1947 and the New Guinean and Australian specimens received from David Liem. Salamanders-The salamander collection contains representatives of all families, 84% of all genera, and approximately 77% of all species. The salamander collection contains specimens assembled by some of the most important collectors and researchers including Sherman C. Bishop, Clifford H. Pope, Karl P. Schmidt, Richard J. Newcomer, Robert E. Gordon, H. Bradley Shaffer, Cheng-chao Liu and Edward H. Taylor. Caecilians-The caecilian collection contains representatives of all families, 73% of all genera, and approximately 41% of all species. The caecilians (including type specimens) that formed the basis for Edward H. Taylor's classic 1968 monograph were acquired through the purchase of his collection. Turtles-The turtle collection contains representatives of all families, 83% of all genera, and approximately 80% of all species. The Edward O. Moll collection from Malaysia is a relatively new addition that contains species that were previously not or only poorly represented in our collection. The turtle holdings from areas of geographic strength such as Malaysia, Thailand and Mexico are well represented, taxonomically and numerically. Rhynchocephalians-Two species comprise the recent sphenodontidans. The collection contains only one of these species. The holdings number fifteen specimens. Several of these are skeletonized or cleared and stained. Lizards-The lizard collection contains representatives of all families, 87% of all genera, and approximately 54% of all species. The lizard collection contains eight specimens of the extremely rare, earless monitor (Lanthanotus borneensis), the sole species in the subfamily Lanthanotinae. The specimens of Lanthanotus are constantly in demand by researchers worldwide and are usually on loan. Particularly valuable, for example, to researchers are the large series of Bornean lizards. Our holdings of the agamid genus Draco (flying dragons) dwarf the combined holdings of other museums. Such large series support studies that would be impossible otherwise. Additionally, such large series also allow several researchers to work on subsets of the material simultaneously, thereby alleviating the need to shift the same material from one researcher to another. Significant also are holdings of the family Xenosauridae which contains only two rare genera, Shinisaurus and Xenosaurus, and two adult, whole body, fluid preserved Komodo dragons (Varanus komodoensis). Snakes-The snake collection contains representatives of all families except the Bolyeriidae, 87% of all genera, and approximately 65% of all species. One of the single, most important subsets of the collection are the sea snakes (Hydrophiidae) collected by Harold Voris. Significant also are several specimens of the virtually unobtainable viperid, Azemiops. The snake skull collection is extremely varied taxonomically and contains large series of single species of aquatic snakes. Amphisbaenians-The amphisbaenian collection contains representatives of all families, 96% of all genera and approximately 50% of all species. The Carl Gans collection was a significant recent addition. Crocodilians-The crocodilian collection contains representatives of all families, 100% of all genera, and approximately 96% of all species. Several species are present in large series. The crocodilian holdings (particularly skulls) were enhanced by the purchase of Federico Medem's collection (1955-1966). Type Collection-The type collection contains 1,284 named forms (species and subspecies) of which 485 are represented by holotypes. The lists of type specimens have been published (Marx 1958, 1976). Frogs, lizards, snakes and salamanders comprise 36%, 29%, 21%, and 10% of the named types, respectively. Skeletal Collection-The skeletal collection contains over 5,000 dry skeletons and over 300 cleared and stained specimens. The snake skull collection is particularly taxonomically representative due in large part to the research efforts of Curator Emeritus Hymen Marx. The sea snake (Hydrophiidae) skull collection is particularly valuable not only because of its taxonomic representation but also because of the large series of each sex of selected species. The hydrophiid skulls were prepared through the efforts of a dedicated, long term volunteer, Sophie Anne Brunner. Cleared and stained turtle, lizard, and crocodilian embryos, prepared and published on by Geology Curator, Olivier Rieppel, form a valuable subset of the collection. Large series of cleared and stained lizard and snake skeletons prepared and published on by Associate Curator Maureen Kearney form a valuable part of the collection. Auxiliary Collections-The Division maintains the following auxiliary collections: histological slides (>8,000); stomach contents (>3000); tissues (>12,500); tape recordings (33); color slides (>1,900); black and white photographs (>1,230); X-ray negatives (200); field notes (640 sets), maps (>200) and original illustrations (>150). Karl P. Schmidt Memorial Herpetological Library-This branch of the main Field Museum Library contains approximately 1,792 books and 36,000 reprints on herpetology. Donations of extensive herpetological libraries (Karl P. Schmidt, D. Dwight Davis, Emmett R. Dunn, Robert F. Inger, and Walter L. Necker) as well as an active reprint exchange program have enhanced the breadth of the library. Archives-The archives, housed in the main library, include the Karl P. Schmidt and Emmett R. Dunn correspondence. Amphibians and Reptiles Collections Policies The following policies are available to download in Adobe Acrobat (PDF) format. In order to view this file, you will need the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader  Amphibians and Reptiles Specimen Loan Policy Amphibians and Reptiles Tissue PolicyBack to the top Other Zoology Collections: Amphibians and Reptiles | Birds | Fishes | Insects | Invertebrates | Mammals |
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