In the late 1920s, V.G. Heptner has been the keeper of herpetological collection of the Museum, along with other collections of vertebrates. This collection was formed as an independent Department of Herpetology, headed by N.V. Shibanov, in 1932.

In 1941, N.V. Shibanov had evacuated to Ashgabat together with some other members of the Museum staff. After his return to Moscow in 1943, he was appointed the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University.

I.S. Darevsky, then a student at Moscow State University, worked in the Department to become subsequently a well-known herpetologist in the staff of the Zoological Institute in Leningrad; he discovered parthenogenesis in rock lizards in Armenia. He recorded herpetological materials in the inventory book of the Department.

After 1946, the Department was practically conserved until 1962, and after the relocation of the Biology and Soil Faculty of Moscow State University to the Lenin Mountains, R.L. Boehme was appointed the Department keeper.

During 1962-1972, V.F. Orlova was the only member of the Department of Herpetology. In 1963, she was appointed its head and takes this position until now. In 1972-1987, T.O. Alexandrovskaya also worked in the Department, and since 1987 she was replaced by E.A. Dunaev.

The technical duties were performed occasionally by young personnel since 1987, including A.S. Afanasyev, K.D. Rybakova, Yu.M. Zhbanova, A.V. Orlova, M.L. Yazidzhan.