Collection of Herpetology

Roughly 60% of the herpetology collection is made up of Oklahoma specimens, making it the largest repository of Oklahoma amphibians and reptiles found anywhere. Additionally, the collection’s geographic diversity covers 46 states and 54 countries. We house large holdings of foreign specimens for Latin American countries like Brazil and Nicaragua, plus rare collections from Egypt and the Galapagos.

The collection includes a handful of species new to science, which offer priceless opportunities for researchers and educators. We have a total of nearly 59,000 specimens, with the oldest ones dating back to 1903. In addition to physical specimens, we preserve specimen records, field notebooks , and audio/video recordings from collectors spanning roughly 60 years. These archival materials are stored in print and digital formats in the Charles C. Carpenter Herpetology Library and in our main collection space. Our collection continues to grow to the present with the acquisition of specimens from Southeast Asia and selected areas of Oklahoma. Additionally, research programs by curators and graduate students keep the collection in constant use.