Taxonomic composition

Nearly all orders of recent mammals are represented in the Museum, the only exclusion is Tubulidentata; and no less than 120 families are represented among 135-140 valid ones.

The largest part of collection consists of mammal taxa of Russian fauna which is represented most completely (only few species of cetaceans missing), as well as of some adjacent territories.

At higher taxonomic levels, most complete is representation of carnivores, insectivores and ungulates of Northern Hemisphere; less complete is representation of marsupials (11 families of 16), cetaceans (6 families of 9), chiropterans (15 families of 18). Neotropical rodents and primates are worst represented.

Among Lipotyphla, the most completely represented are soricids (especially Sorex, Neomys), erinaceids and talpids.
The chiropteran collection is the largest in Russia. Representation of the North Palaearctic bats is almost complete, extensive samples existing for many species.

All families of terrestrial Carnivora are represented quite completely. There are very large skull collections for the genera Martes, Mustela (Mustelidae), Canis, Vulpes, Alopex (Canidae). Marine carnivorans (pinnipeds) are also pretty good in the collection, especially Callorhinus.

Materials on lagomorphs are also numerous, especially on Lepus, Ochotona.

Among rodents, the most complete is taxonomic representation of Palaearctic Sciuridae (Sciurus, Spermophilus, Marmota) and Muroidea (especially Apodemus s. lato, Cricetus, Cricetulus, Ellobius, Myodes, Microtus s. lato.); all Dipodoidea (especially Allactaga, Dipus, Salpingotus, Euchoreutes);

Among ungulates, collections of skulls of genera Ovis, Alces are to be indicated.

There are noteworthy old collections of species now assigned special protected status. These are: Desmana moschata - 150 specimens, Ursus maritimus - 100 specimens, Enhydra lutris - 97 specimens, Gazella subgutturosa - 250 specimens, Equus hemionus - 68 specimens. The Museum has been obtaining European bison (Bison bonasus) skulls from Prioksko-Terrasnyi Reserve, now we have about a hundred of them, all with the strict pedigree data.