Zoology collections

An x-ray of Halieutea liogaster

Halieutea liogaster  © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London

The Museum's zoology collection consists of over 29 million animal specimens.

The collection is rich in voucher, type and historical specimens,  as well as extinct and endangered species.

Looking for a specimen ?

The Zoology collection is being digitised

Vertebrate collections

Invertebrate collections

Accessing the collections

Scientists and collections management specialists can visit the collections and borrow specimens for research.

Collections management

Our duty is to provide a safe and secure environment for all of our collections.

Collections on the move

We have set out on an ambitious programme to develop a new science and digitisation centre. As we prepare for the move, access to some collections will be affected. 

Find out more and sign up to our newsletter to receive updates on changes to collections access, relevant news and opportunities to get involved.