San Diego State University Biodiversity Museum - Herpetology (SDSU-Herps)

The San Diego State University Biodiversity Museum Herpetological Collection contains over 14,000 specimens of reptiles and amphibians. We have recently begun databasing and imaging the specimens. Material in the collection includes skeletons and whole animals preserved in alcohol. Most of our holdings are focused on the western United States and Mexico. Specimens in the collection contribute to biology courses and form the foundation for research projects and theses.

For further information about the herpetology collection, please contact Dr. Kinsey Brock, Curator of Reptiles & Amphibians, or Ryan Appler, herpetology collections curatorial assistant.

The San Diego State University Biodiversity Museum houses thousands of plant and animal specimens. This resource is available for research and teaching to both students and faculty and is located at the university in rooms within the Life Science buildings. Our museum is known to be one of the richest university collections in the nation and includes both native and exotic species of birds, mammals, fish, reptiles, amphibians, arthropods, and plants. Some of the specimens housed in the museum are quite rare and a few date back as far as the 1800's.

The purpose of the museum is to provide instructional models for teaching all levels of biology with a broad taxonomic representation. It is used by professors and graduate students for research in the areas of systematics, evolution, paleontology and anthropology. Many graduate students rely on the extensive data provided by the museum to research and produce their thesis projects, as it is extremely helpful for the identification of live plants and animals.