Vertebrate Collections
The ASU Vertebrate Natural History Collections, Managed by Dr. Dakota Rowsey, Vertebrate Collections Manager, and Dr. Jay Taylor, Associate Curator of Ornithology, consist of the following collections:
- The ASU Herpetology Collection (ASUHEC) contains approximately 38,000 specimens representing more than 900 species.
- The ASU Ichthyology Collection (ASUFIC) contains approximately 22,000 lots representing more than 580 species.
- The ASU Mammalogy Collection (ASUMAC) contains approximately 9,300 specimens representing more than 160 species.
- The ASU Ornithology Collection (ASUORC) contains approximately 2,000 specimens representing more than 300 species
- The ASU Vertebrate Tissue Collection (ASUVTC) contains approximately 2,100 samples representing more than 90 species.
The geographic focus of the collections includes the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, with global representation. Specimen records are publicly available on the Consortium of Vertebrate Collections Symbiota portal.
Access the ASU Vertebrate Collection Holdings Online @ CVColl.org
Visit the Collection
The collections are open to visitation and use for the purposes of research, teaching, and outreach. For specimen loan and use inquiries, please complete a specimen use request form:
Request Use or Loan of ASU Vertebrate Collection Specimens
Street Address: 734 West Alameda Drive, Tempe, AZ 85282
Hours: Monday - Friday: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm, by appointment
Contribute to the Collections
Please reach out to collections staff if you are interested in pursuing research that will generate natural history specimens and/or tissue samples.