Vertebrate Collections

Vertebrate Collection: Primarily a teaching collection, the approximately 5,000 fish, amphibian, reptile, bird and mammal specimens in the Vertebrate Museum are used in a wide range of courses, including Vertebrate Biology, Wildlife Management, Ichthyology, Herpetology, Ornithology, and Mammalogy (BIO 323, 478, 425, 426, 427, 428).   Specimens are also used in public outreach to schools and community groups as well as reference material for wildlife biologists working in our region.  Although focused on Arizona vertebrates, we are fortunate to have some specimens from other parts of the world, including Australia and Africa.  Among the latter is a collection of mounted heads that include specimens that reflect the diversity of African antelopes and include some specimens that would be nearly impossible to replace today.