Herpetology Collection
The curated collections in the Division of Herpetology number in excess of 21,500
specimens. Most depth in coverage is for the Chihuahuan Desert region of the United
States and México, and in many cases includes specimens from populations not
represented in other museums. Coverage of the United States and the remainder of
México is otherwise synoptic, although there are minor holdings of significance
representing southeastern México, eastern Europe, Malaysia, and Belize. The
collection database is attainable via HerpNET.
Figure: New Mexican Whiptail Lizard, copyright: C.S. Lieb
Herpetological holdings at UTEP that may be of interest to investigators not
familiar with the collection include:
- More than 1100 dry skeletal preparations, mostly of Southwestern taxa
- R.G. Webb's extensive collections from north-central México, especially
the states of Durango and Zacatecas
- J. D. Johnson's collections from México east of the Isthmus of
Tehuantepec, as assembled from his continuing biogeographic studies on the herpetofauna
of Chiapas and Nuclear Central America
- A representative collection of ambystomatid salamanders, both wet preserved and
cleared/stained, made by R. D. Worthington in the United States and México
between 1960 and 1972
- Voucher specimens from 1975 studies on the amphibians and reptiles from Colima and
adjacent Jalisco, México, and from early 1960's surveys of viperid snakes in
Oklahoma, both deposited with UTEP by W. A. Carter of East Central College of
Oklahoma
- A collection of herptiles, primarily lizards and amphibians from the state of
Arizona, collected mostly in the 1970's and donated to UTEP by C. J. May
- A small collection of herptiles from the Malaysian peninsula made by R. D.
Worthington in 1987
- Portions of the extensive Mexican and Southwestern U. S. collections of R. W.
Axtell, represented primarily by amphibians and some groups of lizards.
The present curators of the Division of Herpetology are Robert G. Webb (emeritus) and Associate Curator Carl S. Lieb. Specimens are available for loan on an
inter-institutional basis; inquiries may be directed to either of the curatorial staff
(915-747-6985; FAX: 915-747-5808; E-mail: clieb@utep.edu).
The division supports a checklist of
amphibians and reptiles of the El Paso-Juarez Border Region.
Last Update: 24 Jan 2011
