Vertebrate Zoology

Divisional Holdings

The Division of Vertebrate Zoology holdings include collections in herpetology, ichthyology, mammalogy and ornithology.

Herpetology

The Yale Peabody Museum’s herpetological collection of approximately 19,000 specimens includes over 300 amphibian taxa and over 1,300 reptile taxa in both wet and osteological collections. There are 95 type specimens representing 8 taxa. The collections are worldwide in scope, with an emphasis on the herpetofauna of the Americas, Africa and Asia. Most specimens are from the United States, mainly from Connecticut and Florida.

Ichthyology

The fishes collection in the Yale Peabody Museum is worldwide in scope, with emphasis on marine species, especially deep sea fishes. In addition to the wet collections, the collections includes prepared skeletal material.

Mammalogy

The Yale Peabody Museum’s mammal collection, although one of the Museum’s smaller collections, is worldwide in coverage, and contains representatives of all mammalian orders (except Neotropical Paucituberculata and Microbiotheria). The material consists mainly of skins and skulls, with smaller numbers of postcranial skeletons and specimens preserved in alcohol.

Ornithology

The bird collection in the Yale Peabody Museum is among the most comprehensive in North America, with international and historic significance in several areas, and includes specimens as skin, skeletal material and wet preserves.

The Division’s affiliated William Robertson Coe Ornithology Library has an extensive nonlending research and teaching collection of books and journals.


The Yale Peabody Museum’s collections are available to legitimate researchers for scholarly use. Loans are issued to responsible individuals at established institutions. Loans and access to the collection can be arranged through the Collections Manager.

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