Zoology treasures
The collections comprise all recent animal groups with the exception of insects and arachnids. The diversity of material includes single cells on slides, specimens preserved in spirit, frozen material and skeletons of whales. Curators answer thousands of enquiries each year, using the collections and more than 5,000 visitor days are recorded annually, representing use of the collections by researchers from all over the world. The collections are particularly rich in material from former colonial countries and in type, rare and historic material. The bulk of the collections were assembled in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, but they include some 16th Century and modern material. Many specimens originate from the work of famous zoologists , including Linnaeus, Darwin, Wallace, Rothschild, Hooker, Sloane, Lyell and Sowerby and from voyages of exploration, including those of Challenger, Alert, Investigator and Discovery.
Reptiles and Amphibians
Marion’s Tortoise Testudo sumierei
Type BMNH 1929.12.27.1 (formerly 1947.3.4.1) stuffed specimen. One of five Giant Tortoises taken from the Seychelles to Mauritius in 1769; over 150 years old at time of death therefore probably one of the oldest tortoises on record.
Estuarine Crocodile Skulls Crocodylus porosus
BMNH 47.3.5.33 and 43.8.18.4. Two of the four largest estuarine crocodile skulls in existence. The smaller one was claimed to have been from a 33 feet long specimen, however, more recent calculations suggest that the individuals would really have been no longer than about 18 or 19 feet in length.
Galapagos Marine Iguana Amblyrhynchus cristatus
BMNH xxiii.16b A stuffed specimen collected by Capt. FitzRoy on the voyage of the Beagle.
Galapagos Land Iguana Conolophus subcristatus
A stuffed specimen collected by Capt. FitzRoy on the voyage of the Beagle.
Greater Siren Siren lacertina.
A totally aquatic salamander - specimen in spirit presented to the British Museum on 26th August 1768 by John Ellis, who received it from Dr Alexander Garden of Charles Town, South Carolina. Garden also sent specimens to Linnaeus via John Ellis.
Varanus komodoensis cast
A cast of a specimen of the world’s largest species of lizard, the Komodo Dragon.
Tuatara
The types of the two surviving species of Tuatara, Sphenodon punctatus, BMNH RR 1946.1.22.3 and S. guentheri, BMNH 86.6.28.8. Tuataras are members of an order of reptiles that disappeared from most of the world 60 million years ago, remaining only in New Zealand.
"Panhard" the Tortoise Testudo graeca
BMNH 1969.2420. Probably the best studied pet tortoise ever, with weight and length details being recorded by its owners every year from 1906 until its death in 1969.
Mammals
Giant Panda
Ailuropoda melanoleuca. ‘Chi-Chi’ the famous giant panda kept in captivity at London Zoo. 1972.4060
Gorilla
Gorilla gorilla. ‘Guy’ one of the star attractions during the time he was kept in captivity at London Zoo. 1978.1226
Orangutan
Pongo pygmaeus. Collected by Dr Alfred R Wallace, the famous traveller, whose ideas on evolution matched those of his contemporary, Charles Darwin. 1856.11.8.1
Spotted cuscus
Spilocuscus maculatus. Collected by Dr Alfred R.Wallace 1861.12.11.18
Chimpanzee
Pan troglodytes. Part of the Walter Rothschild Bequest. 1939.3429
Tiger
Panthera tigris A specimen shot by HM King George V. A rare and endangered species exploited by the fur trade and peddlers of oriental medicine. 1913.7.16.1
Lion
Panthera leo. Mounted head of ‘Brutus’, a circus lion who killed his keeper and was then given to London Zoo. According to an old superstition the death of a lion foretells that of a king and this animal indeed died a few days before Queen Victoria. 1901.11.13.1
Musk deer
Moschus moschiferus. A rare and endangered species. It is used in oriental medicine and the male provides a substance useful to the perfumery trade. This specimen nicknamed ‘Nellie Wallis’ was displayed in the window of the Old Pharmaceutical Society premises for more than 100 years. 1977.2747
Wombat
Vombatus ursinus. From the collection of John Gould, author of the 3 volume work ‘The mammals of Australia’ published
1845 – 1863. 1841.1160
African elephant
Loxodonta africana. Record tusks
African elephant
Loxodonta africana. Deformed tusk collected by the famous explorer David Livingstone. 1864.1.25.3
Asian elephant
Elephas maximus. Tusks from the Rajah of Tripura 1879.11.21.3
Elephant
Loxodonta africana x Elephas maximus Infant hybrid elephant ‘Motty’ bred in captivity at Chester Zoo.
Pichi Armadillo
Zaedyus pichiy. Collected by Charles Darwin. 1855.12.24.288.
American bison
Bison bison. Collected by J.J.Audubon. 1846.11.19.1
European bison
Bison bonasus. Presented by Tsar Nicholas I. 1845.10.13.1
Wild cat
Felis silvestris. Skull of specimen shot by Sir Walter Scott. 1979.1698
Spectacled bear
Tremarctos ornatus. The skull of ‘Pedro’ who was featured in several of Gerald Durrell’s books. 1981.784
The smallest dog in the world,
Victorian fake miniature dog. 1977.206
Sowerby’s beaked whale
Mesoplodon bidens, fibreglass model, life-size. 1994.46
Northern bottlenose whale
Hyperoodon ampullatus, fibreglass model, life-size. 1994.44.
Great sperm whale
Physeter catodon, fibreglass model, life-size. 1994.47.
False killer whale
Pseudorca crassidens, fibreglass model, life-size. 1994.
Long-finned pilot whale
Globicephala melas, fibre-glass model, life-size. 1994.48
Common dolphin
Delphinus delphis, fibreglass model, life-size. 1995.210.
Indian water buffalo
Bubalus bubalis, horn sheaths, mounted on wooden ‘frontlet’. From the collection of Sir Hans Sloane. World record (longest) horns. GERM.604d
Great sperm whale
Physeter catodon, lower jaw only with teeth, displayed at Great Exhibition of 1851, caught between Cape Howe & New Zealand. 1851.11.19.1
Great sperm whale
Physeter catodon, 6 teeth with scrimshaw. 1998.419 – 424
Giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis skull. 2000.338.
Spanish ibex
Capra pyrenaica. Collected by King Alphonso of Spain. 1927.7.13.1
Wild boar
Sus scrofa. Specimen from the Punjab speared by HM King Edward VIII. 1952.808
Bob cat
Lynx rufus. Specimen presented by HM King Edward VIII. 1846.11.19.7
Pygmy Hippo
Fluid preserved specimen showing a stained longitudinal section through the head.
Lion
Loose teeth of two man-eating lionesses killed at Fort Luvonde, British Central Africa, 1st March 1897.
Giraffe
Fluid preserved specimen of a giraffe head.
Duck-billed platypus
Fluid preserved specimen of a dissection of the head of a young duck-billed platypus, Ornithorhynchus matinus, showing the calcified teeth. Stuffed head also available.
Giant Golden Mole
A fluid preserved specimen of the Giant Golden Mole, Chrysospalx trevelyani, which is only now found in one small area of South Africa and is on the verge of extinction.
Warble Fly
Fluid preserved specimen of a portion of hide from a young bullock, Bos taurus, which contains approximately 80 larvae of the warble fly, Hypoderma bovis, per square foot.
Birds
Emperor Penguin
Egg collected by E.A. Wilson on Discovery expedition to Antarctica - 1905.12.30.421.
Emperor Penguin
Egg collected by E.A. Wilson on Terra Nova expedition to Antarctica - 1916.9.8.1.
Emperor Penguin
embryo collected by E.A. Wilson on Terra Nova expedition to Antarctica - 1916.6.20.123.
Cassowary
Mounted. Rothschild Collection
Emu
Mounted. Rothschild Collection
King Penguin
mounted.
Andean Condor
mounted, with wings outstretched.
Kakapo
skin of highly endangered New Zealand Parrot.
Sword-billed Hummingbird
skin. Has the longest beak relative to body size of any bird.
Osprey
mount with spread wings, in attack posture. A rare British species.
Great Bustard
mounted in display posture. A rare ex British species.
Victorian display case of birds
including spread wing mount of Great Argus Pheasant (very rare).
Birds-of-paradise
Trade skins of Paradisaea species.
Hummingbird nest
collected on Cook voyage.
White-tailed Sea Eagle
Mounted skeleton of a rare British species.
Gentoo Penguin
Mounted skeleton. Shows interesting adaptations.
Gould's hummingbirds
One octagonal case by Gould.
Passenger Pigeon
skin, an extinct species.
Audubon
Bird skins collected by Audubon are available.
Capercaillie
mounted on a log, a rare British species.
Elephant Bird's Egg
Cast, Aepyornis maximus. A cast of the largest known birds’ egg laid by the heaviest bird that has ever lived. The extinct Elephant bird is believed to be the giant Roc in the story of Sinbad the Sailor.
Invertebrates
Mollusca
Tray of shells from the Banks collection, collected during Captain Cook’s first circumnavigation (1768-1771).
Gloves made from the byssus of Pinna shells. From the collection of Sir Hans Sloane. Giant Clam Tridacna gigas
Glory of the Seas Cone Conus gloriamaris, long held to be one of the rarest shells in the world and still much sought-after by collectors.
Golden Cowry Cypraea aurantium, a beautiful large cowry, deep gold in colour and endemic to Fiji where it has been used as a symbol of chieftanship.
Indian carved trumpets and bangles made from the shells of the Indian Chank, Xancus pyrum.
Porifera
Venus’ Flowerbasket Euplectella aspergillum. We have one in a nice Victorian glass dome.
Elephant’s Ear Bath Sponge, Spongia officinalis var. lamella. Large vase-shaped bath sponge, ex-exhibition with associated shells and worm tubes around a cement base.
We also have a Roman amphora from the Mediterranean with bath sponges growing on it.
Discodermia, a lithistid sponge currently being trialled as a possible source of a drug to fight breast cancer.
Xiphosura
Fluid preserved specimen of a median longitudinal section through a King Crab Limulus sp.
Bryozoa
Selenaria, small free-living bryozoan colonies that can move across sandy floors by "cartwheeling" on "spines"
Bugula neritina, currently being used by pharmaceutical companies as a source of bryostatin drugs.
Miscellaneous
Five fluid preserved jars showing nicely mounted samples of the variety of food eaten by various British fish: cod, plaice, sole, turbot & grey gurnard.
Contact
John Jackson
Science Policy Co-ordinator
Science Directorate
The Natural History Museum
London
SW7 5BD