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Our task
In addition to the live animals in the exhibition area (Water - Life in the River), the Museum Koenig also houses a scientific live animal facility. In modern terrarium and aquarium facilities, lower vertebrates (fish, amphibians and reptiles) and various invertebrates are kept and bred for research purposes. Keeping live animals enables investigations that are difficult to carry out in the wild and thus provides important findings, e.g. on behavioural and reproductive biology, larval development or functional morphology. The information obtained in this way supports collection-based research and field work on taxonomic and evolutionary biology issues, but also helps to protect species by collecting useful data for conservation breeding programmes or for the protection of natural populations.
Fish
The focus of research in the aquaria is on Southeast Asian fishes from Sulawesi. Current projects are investigating the functional and ecomorphology of an adaptive radiation of the sunray fishes of Sulawesi, especially their jaw apparatus and its effect on feeding behaviour, as well as the evolution of the unique reproductive strategy of rice fishes, which is being explored by means of breeding lines.
Frogs
In amphibians, research focusses on the developmental biology of tropical frogs, their larval development, comparative larval morphology and bioacoustics.
Contact person
- Curator Herpetology
- Radiation Protection Officer
- Head of Animal Husbandry
Phone: +49 228 9122 234
E-Mail: c.koch@leibniz-lib.de
Projects
There are currently no projects available
Publications
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2025/3
Soft anatomy and morphological variation in Daptomys peruviensis (Rodentia, Cricetidae), a rare ichthyomyine from the northwestern Amazonian forests
PeerJ, 13
2025/2
Rediscovery of a rare and endangered Apostolepis (Serpentes: Dipsadidae): reassessing species boundaries and phylogenetic relationships using integrative approaches
Salamandra, 1, 61
2024/12
Molecular phylogeny and biogeography of the dwarf boas of the family Tropidophiidae (Serpentes: Alethinophidia)
Systematics and biodiversity, 1, 22
2024/11
Getting back to name-bearing types: archival DNA and morphology clarify the identity of Hyla splendens Schmidt, 1857 and challenge the taxonomy of Bolivian populations of Gastrotheca (Anura: Hemiphractidae)
Salamandra, 4, 60
2024/3
A new dwarf gecko of the genus Pseudogonatodes (Squamata: Sphaerodactylidae) from the eastern slope of the Andean Cordillera de Mrida in northern South America.
Zootaxa, 4, 5418
2024/2
Systematic revision of the Eyelash Palm-Pitviper Bothriechis schlegelii (Serpentes, Viperidae), with the description of five new species and revalidation of three
Evolutionary Systematics, 1, 8
2023/8
New species of the Spiny Mouse genus Neacomys (Cricetidae, Sigmodontinae) from northwestern Ecuador
ZooKeys, 1175
2023/7
Patterns of morphological variation and ecological correlates in the skull of vipers (Serpentes: Viperidae)
Journal of Morphology, 8, 284
2023/7
Captive breeding, embryonic and larval development of Ranitomeya variabilis (Zimmermann & Zimmermann, 1988), (Anura, Dendrobatidae)
ZooKeys, 1172
2023/4
An evolutionary paradox on threadsnakes: Phenotypic and molecular evidence reveal a new and remarkably polymorphic species of Siagonodon (Serpentes: Leptotyphlopidae: Epictinae) from Amazonia
Vertebrate Zoology, 73
2023/3
More than meets no eyes: Taxonomic status of a Liotyphlops (Serpentes: Anomalepididae) blindsnake from the Atlantic Rainforest
Zoologischer Anzeiger, 303
2023/3
Ontogeny of the skull of the blind snake Amerotyphlops brongersmianus (Serpentes: Typhlopidae) brings new insights on snake cranial evolution
Zoological journal of the Linnean Society, 3, 197
2023/1
Total‐evidence phylogeny and evolutionary morphology of New World pitvipers (Serpentes: Viperidae: Crotalinae)
Cladistics, 2, 39
2022/12
A time relic: a new species of dwarf boa, Tropidophis Bibron, 1840 (Serpentes: Amerophidia), from the Upper Amazon Basin
European Journal of Taxonomy, 854
2022/11
Dwarves in a Big World: Two New Species of Tropiocolotes (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Sahara Desert, with the First Detailed Skull Description of the Genus
Journal of Herpetology, 4, 56
2022/10
Generic affinities of African house snakes revised: a new genus for Boodon erlangeri (Serpentes: Elapoidea: Lamprophiidae: Lamprophiinae)
Salamandra, 4, 58
2022/9
A spectacular new species ofHyloscirtus(Anura: Hylidae) from the Cordillera de Los Llanganates in the eastern Andes of Ecuador
PeerJ, 10
2022/5
Unveiling an enigma from the Cerrado: taxonomic revision of two sympatric species of Apostolepis Cope, 1862 (Dipsadidae: Xenodontinae: Elapomorphini) from central Brazil
European Journal of Taxonomy, 817
2022/4
Unlocking Andean sigmodontine diversity: five new species ofChilomys(Rodentia: Cricetidae) from the montane forests of Ecuador
PeerJ, 10
2022/4
Morphological disparity in a hyperdiverse mammal clade: a new morphotype and tribe of Neotropical cricetids
Zoological journal of the Linnean Society, 3, 196
2022/3
Taxonomic revision of the Tropiocolotes nattereri (Squamata, Gekkonidae) species complex, with the description of a new species from Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia
Zoologica scripta, 3, 51
2022/2
A new species of Mindomys (Rodentia, Cricetidae) with remarks on external traits as indicators of arboreality in sigmodontine rodents
Evolutionary Systematics, 1, 6
2021/12
A new and very spiny lizard (Gymnophthalmidae: Echinosaura) from the Andes in northwestern Ecuador
PeerJ, 9
2021/9
A new species of the genus Noblella (Amphibia: Strabomantidae) from Ecuador, with new information for Noblella worleyae
Acta Herpetologica, 2, 16
2021/9
A New Species of Microtegu Lizard (Gymnophthalmidae: Cercosaurinae) from Amazonian Ecuador
Journal of Herpetology, 4, 55
2021/8
Picking up the threads: Comparative osteology and associated cartilaginous elements for members of the genusTrilepidaHedges, 2011 (Serpentes, Leptotyphlopidae) with new insights on the Epictinae systematics
The Anatomical Record, 10, 304
2021/7
Evolutionary treasures hidden in the West Indies: Comparative osteology and visceral morphology reveals intricate miniaturization in the insular genera Mitophis Hedges, Adalsteinsson, & Branch, 2009 and Tetracheilostoma Jan, 1861 (Leptotyphlopidae: Epictinae: Tetracheilostomina)
The Anatomical Record, 10, 304
2021/7
A new species of spiny mouse, genus Neacomys (Cricetidae: Sigmodontinae) from cordillera del Cóndor, Ecuador
Mastozoología neotropical, 1, 28
2021/6
Osteology of the enigmatic threadsnake species Epictia unicolor and Trilepida guayaquilensis (Serpentes, Leptotyphlopidae) with generic insights
The Anatomical Record, 10, 304
2021/5
Integrative approach to resolve the Calotes mystaceus Duméril & Bibron, 1837 species complex (Squamata: Agamidae)
Bonn zoological bulletin, 1, 70
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
Employees
Dipl. Biol. Timo Hartmann
ztm Herpetology Bonn Animal keeperPhone: +49 228 9122 274
E-mail: t.hartmann@leibniz-lib.de
Dr. Claudia Koch
ztm Herpetology Bonn ScientistPhone: +49 228 9122 234
E-mail: c.koch@leibniz-lib.deInna Rech
ztm Herpetology Bonn Doctoral candidatePhone: +49 228 9122 253
E-mail: i.rech@leibniz-lib.de
MSc Alina Schüller
zmb Evolutionary genomics Doctoral candidatePhone: +49 228 9122 431
E-mail: a.schueller@leibniz-lib.de