Herpetological collection
The Herpetological Collection is the fifth largest German collection of reptiles (amphibians and reptiles). In total, the collection houses around 70,000 specimens (approx. 70 per cent reptiles and 30 per cent amphibians), mainly as alcohol preparations. In addition, there are several hundred dry specimens (skeletons, shells, reptile skins) and more than 300 histological sections of amphibians and their larvae. The Herpetological Collection is the point of contact for the Hamburg Customs Office. Confiscated material is regularly examined and stored in the collection.
The oldest items in the collection are South American snakes collected by Prince Maximilian Wied zu Neuwied (1782-1867) and described in 1825. The collection also contains specimens of extinct species: Mauritius boa and Cape Verdean giant skink.
Compared to many other herpetological collections in Germany, the collection in Hamburg is characterised by a high proportion of specimens from the 19th century. It therefore contains unique documents of the distribution areas and population structures at that time. In particular, because the specimens stored in alcohol are generally accessible for genetic procedures.
There is close cooperation with many national and international scientists with regard to research and the exchange of research material.
Type catalogue
The publication of the type catalogue of amphibians and reptiles at the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (Hallermann 1998) marked the start of the very time-consuming process of processing the existing type collections and those destroyed during the war. Due to the destruction of the collection catalogues during the Second World War, it was not possible to completely record the missing specimens. Further research during the following years and additional new descriptions made a supplementary volume necessary (Hallermann 2006).
Related section
Contact person
Curator of the collection
