Herpetological collection

The collection of the Sector of Herpetology includes approximately 25,600 storage units, most of them preserved in a fixative liquid. Its major part consists of specimens of amphibians and reptiles of the fauna of the former USSR, while the materials from other countries are usually scanty.

The osteological collection includes 1,000 storage units (more than 2,000 specimens), which belong to 33 amphibian species and 198 reptilian species.

Recently, a collection of tissue preparations for genetic research (in particular, of mitochondrial DNA) was created, and it includes now about 50 storage units with more than 80 specimens.

The collection of type specimens is kept separately, and it contains 359 storage units of 60 species and 23 subspecies of reptiles, and 52 storage units of 30 species-group taxa of amphibians. The electronic database is available for the type collection.

Collection curators

E.A. Galoyan curates amphibian collection; N.A. Poyarkov is its visiting curator.

V.F. Orlova curates the most part of reptile collection.

R.A. Nazarov curates geckonid and agamid lizards.