Herpertology Collection

The Herpertology collection is a minor but important collection within the museum, housing an important set of locally relevant specimens, as well as a small number if types. The collection is primarily used by external researchers, as our researchers have traditionally focussed on other groups. The collection size was greatly increased with the acquisition of JC Poynton’s frog collection from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, and this collection has skewed the balance of the collection towards the frogs. Additional material of lizards, snakes and frogs were donated by Ezemvelo KwaZulu-Natal Wildlife research staff. The collections date back to 1907, and contains 6500 frogs, 680 Lizards, and 480 Snakes.