Amphibians & Reptiles

MMNS Herpetology Collection 

The herpetology collection contains approximately 15,000 catalogued specimens representing 194 species. Most specimens (91%) are from Mississippi, but there are also specimens from 33 other states as well as from three foreign countries. The oldest specimen was collected in 1920, but most (64%) were collected in the 1950's and 1960's.

The first comprehensive collecting of reptiles and amphibians in the state was conducted by WPA collectors under the direction of F.A. Cook from 1936 - 1941. The MMNS herpetology collection was substantially increased since that time by acquisition of the University of Southern Mississippi herpetology collection (1973, 1993), the Blue Mountain (Mississippi) College herpetology collection (2002), and the University of Mississippi herpetology collection (2006).

Mississippi Herpetology Checklist

Contact Bob Jones

Significant holdings

• Two paratypes of Regina rigida sinicola, described by James Huheey in 1959.
• More than 350 specimens of 14 federally and state-listed endangered species.
• The only known specimen of Drymarchon couperi from Mississippi.
• The only known specimens of Ophisaurus mimicus from Mississippi.

Current focus

• Georeferencing locality information for all specimens in the collection.
• Fill in distributional gaps for all species of reptiles and amphibians in Mississippi, with emphasis on surveys of state wildlife management areas and parks.

Links of interest

• Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation
• Society for the Study of Reptiles and Amphibians
• Center for North American Herpetology
• Chelonian Conservation and Biology
• AmphibiaWeb