Improved Housing and Organization of the Herpetological Collection at the San Diego Natural History Museum

San Diego Society Of Natural History, San Diego CA

Investigators

Abstract

Over the past four years, the San Diego Natural History Museum has been building new facilities as part of a ten-year strategic plan and an ongoing $40 million capital campaign. The construction project and building renovation has increased the available space from 60,000 sq. ft. to 150,000 sq. ft., allowing for the expansion of research, collections, exhibits and education. The amphibian and reptile collection represents one of the Museum's highest priorities to correct for housing and storage deficiencies. With 67,514 amphibian and reptile specimens, collected primarily from the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, the collection is a critical resource for biological information in the region. However, outmoded housing, overcrowded conditions, and outdated taxonomic organization have challenged the collection's accessibility and long-term preservation. To correct for this, the Museum has installed compactor shelving units in a new state-of-the-art room to house the fluid-preserved specimens, but is still in need of cabinets to house the skeletal material. Because the previous facility lacked room for expansion, over one-third of the 8,100 jars are full to capacity, though the optimum is no more than half full to minimize specimen damage. Lastly, specimen jar labels and their corresponding taxonomic names in the computer database are outdated, making retrieval of material burdensome and exceptionally time consuming. The goals of this project are to rehouse the collection to modern storage facilities, so specimens will be better preserved for future generations and more accessible to researchers, students and the many others interested in the reptiles and amphibians of the region. By purchasing 10 skeletal storage cabinets, 3,000 jars and lids, and hiring a full-time collection management assistant for two years (and summer undergraduate interns), the renovation of the physical housing, overcrowded conditions, and outdated organization can be achieved. Natural history collections serve as specimen repositories to document regional biodiversity and to provide baseline material for scientific research. The amphibian and reptile collection at the San Diego Natural History Museum plays a significant role towards this by documenting the region's rich diversity. Over the last century, these specimens have been the basis for research in historical biogeography, systematics, functional morphology, ecology, physiology, behavior, ethnozoology, and the introduction of exotics. More and more, they are playing a role in the conservation drama that is taking center stage in the coastal regions of southern California. For example, San Diego County is currently implementing national models for conservation plans to preserve lands and endangered species. The goals include the protection of the region's biodiversity and quality of life, while still allowing for economic development. Since the collection defines the historical distribution of amphibians and reptiles in this region, and helps locate biodiversity hotspots, it can help determine the effects of urbanization, development and habitat management. The collection has provided material for hundreds of scientific publications, numerous government studies, and dozens of graduate student research projects. The rehousing of the collection to modern storage facilities, without overcrowding, will ensure its accessibility to researchers, students, and the interested public for generations to come.