HERPETOLOGY COLLECTION

Of the total of 70,000 specimens preserved in the MNCN Herpetology Collection, the type material comprises 779 specimens of amphibians and reptiles, corresponding to 125 taxa (up to March 2024). Notably, among the type material of the herpetology collection, are the holotypes of species such as Edalorhina perezi, Hyloxalus bocagei, and Pristimantis galdi, described by Jiménez de la Espada in 1870, and Centrolene geckoideum Jiménez de la Espada, 1872.

Amphibians and reptiles constitute the two main groups housed in the Herpetology Collection of the MNCN. In the context of global change driven by human activity, amphibians have emerged as the most threatened group of vertebrates worldwide. This underscores the value of specimens preserved in scientific collections as witnesses to Earth's past inhabitants, serving as key resources for answering numerous questions. Among the species considered vulnerable or already extinct, the type collection of the MNCN includes specimens such as Atelopus planispina Jiménez de la Espada, 1875, Centrolene geckoideum Jiménez de la Espada, 1872, Telmatobius espadai De la Riva, 2005, Telmatobius timens De la Riva, Aparicio, and Ríos, 2005, Telmatobius sibiricus De la Riva & Harvey, 2003, Microkayla illimani (De la Riva and Padial, 2007), Microkayla saltator (De la Riva, Reichle, and Bosch, 2007), and Microkayla kallawaya (De la Riva and Martínez Solano, 2007).

Jiménez de la Espada played a pivotal role in the early development of the collection by introducing the first type specimens. These specimens, all amphibians, were collected from various American territories during the Pacific expedition spanning from 1862 to 1865. This marked a significant milestone in the establishment of the collection's foundation. Additionally, Eduardo Boscá was the first to contribute the initial reptile type to the collection, Gongylus ocellatus bedriagai Boscá, 1880 (now Chalcides bedriagai). Boscá is widely regarded as the father of Iberian herpetology and served as the director of the Botet Museum of Paleontology in Valencia. Between 1879 and 1882, in 1914 Boscá donated the material from his collection and some of the types he described for Iberian amphibian and reptile species to the MNCN.

Subsequent work by various scientists, both external and from the MNCN, significantly expanded the type collection by introducing new specimens or designating previously housed specimens as types. Moreover, the development of non-destructive techniques in recent decades, such as CT-SCAN and photogrammetry, has facilitated the generation of additional information about specimens and their digital distribution to researchers.