University of Alabama Herpetology Collection

As with most other groups of organisms, the southeastern United States contains a very diverse fauna of amphibians and reptiles. The University of Alabama Herpetological Collection (UAHC) is an educational and research collection of moderate size, with over 7,000 preserved and skeletal specimens, mostly of the southeastern herpetofauna. Valuable specimens of species, some rare, from other ecosystems of North, Central, and South America are also documented in this collection. The collection includes materials from the works of early 20th century naturalists, as well as specimens from more recent expeditions.

The oldest materials in the UAHC include about 239 specimens from the original Loding collection. UAHC was developed and curated by Dr. Ralph L. Chermock (1949-1957) who combined the Loding materials with other specimens resulting from various excursions within the southeastern United States. Between 1959 and 1986 Dr. H. T. Boschung, UA Professor Emeritus, expanded the holdings with collections from Alabama and expeditions to South America. Presently, the collection is curated by Dr. Chuck Lydeard.

The University of Alabama Herpetological Collection serves many functions, including many topics within education and research. Specimens and associated ecological data serve to inventory diversity and the general health of ecosystems since the early 1900's. The collection has also provided reference materials for teaching and data that have been invaluable in education of students from K through 12 upwards to university level. Finally, the combined diversity and historical significance of specimens in the collection continues to provide invaluable research materials and information to researchers from UA and other institutions, as well as those environmental, state, and federal agencies. Specimens are regularly studied at UA or at other institutions for natural history studies, ecological and environmental questions, medically-related issues, and biodiversity status.

Currently, UAHC is in a Specify database, and all collections can be seen using HerpNet. To borrow specimens or obtain tissues for DNA analyses, researchers must contact the curator (Dr. Leslie Rissler) with a formal request and proposal. It is best to contact the curator for more information on the collection.