NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTION

The Museum's Natural History Collection consists of over 45,000 specimens in nine diverse disciplines:  Botany, Entomology, Geology, Herpetology, Malacology, Mammalogy, Marine Biology, Ornithology, and Paleontology.  Each of these disciplines is unique to the ecosystem and well-being of South Texas

Botany The Museum's Botany collection contains over 4,200 plant specimens, many collected in South Texas.  Portions of this collection have been used as voucher specimens in the books Flora of the Texas Coastal Bend by Fred B. Jones and Plants of the Texas Coastal Bend by Roy Lehman, Ruth O'Brien, and Tammy White.  Mrs. O'Brien continues to volunteer at the Museum and assist in the research of South Texas plants.
Entomology The Entomology collection contains over 6,500 specimens of insects, arachnids, centipedes, and terrestrial isopods.  A large portion of this collection consists of Lepidoptera (Moths and Butterflies) and Coleoptera (Beetles).  The collection spans 41 countries, although over half of the specimens were collected in South Texas.	Geology The Geology collection is unique in that the over 5,300 specimens come from 64 countries around the world.  This collection includes minerals and all three types of rocks (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic).  Specimens from this amazing collection can be seen in the Minnie Stevens Piper Hall of Earth Science.
	Herpetology Herpetology is the smallest discipline in the Natural History Collection with only 515 specimens.  Most of these specimens are local South Texas reptiles.  A very popular exhibit with our visitors is the Mitchell Campbell Wommack Reptiles of South Texas exhibit.  Here, visitors can see live turtles, lizards, and snakes.  Come see our two new baby alligators!
Malacology Malacology is by far the largest discipline in the Natural History collection with over 16,800 specimens.  These specimens come from all over the world and from local beaches right here on the Coastal Bend.  Portions of this collection have been used as vouchers in Dr. Jean Andrews' two books Shells and Shores of Texas and Texas Shells, A Field Guide.	Mammalogy Mammalogy comprises a relatively small portion of the Natural History collection with only about 700 specimens.  This collection includes all different types of specimens, from study skins, to stomach contents, to skeletal material.  Almost all of the specimens that are not local are from the African continent.
Marine Biology Marine Biology consists of over 2,100 specimens.  These include fish, invertebrates, and plants associated with the Gulf of Mexico and the ocean.  The spider crab display exhibits what is believed to be the largest crustacean in the world.  The specimens were a gift from Corpus Christi's sister city Yokosuka, Japan.
	Ornithology The Ornithology collection is the largest vertebrate collection in the museum with over 6,600 specimens.  Nearly all of the specimens are from South Texas.  The specimen types range from taxidermied mounts, to nests and eggs, to skeletal material.  Prominent collections within this discipline include the A.B.J. Kirn Egg Collection and the Quillin Nest Collection.
Paleontology The Museum's Paleontology collection contains almost 2,900 specimens.  These specimens come from all over the world and almost half of the specimens are mollusks.  The Mosasaur skeleton that was discovered north of Dallas can be seen near the Paleontology Lab, where work is currently being performed on a mammoth discovered in Kleberg County, Texas.

For more information about the Natural History Collection, contact the Registrar, Yvette Shaffer (YvetteS@cctexas.com).