Collection Overview

The University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates, is a rapidly expanding repository of historic and modern bird, mammal, amphibian, reptile, and fish specimens. The Museum works to document and understand regional and global biodiversity through acquisition and investigation of collections to advance academic knowledge and public appreciation of the natural world. Situated in the intersection of the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains, one of the Museum's main goals is to preserve a record of the vertebrates found in these unique and rapidly changing landscapes.

Links Menu

Location

Close fullscreen map

Contact

Mailing Address : University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates, Berry Biodiversity Conservation Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave
Laramie, WY 82071

Phone : 307-766-6227
Email: ewommack@uwyo.edu & mcarling@uwyo.edu

Museum of Vertebrates

Mission

The University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates (UWYMV) is a rapidly expanding repository of historic and modern bird, mammal, amphibian, reptile, and fish specimens. The mission of the UWYMV is to document and understand regional and global biodiversity through acquisition and investigation of collections to advance academic knowledge and public appreciation of the natural world.

Increasing the appreciation of the natural world is an important part of the mission of the University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates. In support of this goal the Museum hosts frequent visits from K-12 student groups from around the state, university classes, various groups (e.g. , local Audubon chapters), and visits from artists, historians, and other interested individuals.

Discovery Highlight

Learn more about the Museum of Vertebrates and the history and importance of natural science collections in this 30 minute interview with Dr. Matt Carling, Associate Professor of Zoology and Physiology at the University of Wyoming, and Curator of the University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates.

Accessibilty Option | Transcript

Collection

The University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates houses approximately 11,800 specimens in four separate collections: mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and fish. In addition, the museum is home to a growing collection of tissues and anatomical parts (e.g. stomach contents, syrinxes).

Most of the historical specimens come from the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. Additional significant historical collections come from the eastern and southern areas of the United States. State of the art facilities in the museum’s new home in the Berry Center have provided the Museum with large amounts of additional collections space, and the museum is currently undergoing rapid expansion in all areas.

The most common specimen types are skins and pelts, skeletons, and fluid preserved whole organisms. The bird collection also contains a small collection of eggs and nests, and a growing collection of spread wings.

History

The University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates began as an extension of the University Museum, founded in 1890, and originally housed in the Hall of Language (Old Main). Active collecting of extant vertebrates for the Museum began in 1896 under the curatorship of Wilbur C. Knight, the state geologist and Chair of Geology and Head mounts: Bison, elk, White-tailed Deer, Black-tailed Deer, Pronghorn, Big Horned Sheep Mineralogy in the School of Mines. The historical growth of the collection after Knight’s death in 1903 has been sporadic, dependent upon the interest and research of University of Wyoming students, faculty, and staff. During this time the museum went through long periods of inactivity.

The move of the University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates to the Berry Center in the spring of 2011 has opened up a period of renewed interest in the museum’s collections. Through active research, collaborations with affiliated scientists, and increased public participation, the Museum has entered into a stage of rapid expansion for all of its collections. The museum now consists of state of the art storage areas for both dry and wet collections. In addition, a tissue collection has been added to the University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates, as well as multiple preparatory labs for skeletons, skins, and fluids.

Questions & Answers

We’ve compiled answers to some of the most common questions we receive. Have another question that you need help with? Contact us.

Is the collection open to the public?

Access to the University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates collections is by appointment only, and there are no public hours for the museum. General policies that apply to every request are as follows:

All requests made to the staff of the UWYMV must be made at least two weeks in advance of when access is needed. Requests made inside the two week window are unlikely to be granted.

The UWYMV will entertain requests to visit the collection for purposes other than conducting scientific research. For more information please see our page on education and outreach.

Please contact us for more information or to arrange a visit.

I’m a researcher. Can I visit the collection?

Any researcher interested in gaining access to the collections to gather data from our specimens in person, as opposed to requesting a specimen loan that will be shipped, must provide a written request to Matt Carling (mcarling@uwyo.edu) and Beth Wommack (ewommack@berkeley.edu) that includes the following:

1. The objectives of the proposed research.

2. The timeline of the visit.

Can I borrow a specimen for my research?

The University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrate provides loans of material to qualified researchers who are working on scientific studies, or for use in education. Researchers who are interested in requesting a loan, either a returnable loan of specimens or a non-returnable destructive loan should consult our loan policies page for further information.

Can you help identify something?

Yes, specimens or photos require locality, date and the name of the collector/photographer in order to be properly identified.

Please contact us for more information

Can I donate specimens to the collection?

Yes! Donations of animals to museums can take many different forms. Scientists often collaborate with museums to donate different types of specimens from their research. Inactive public or private collections may be given to museums in order to ensure their future preservation and use. Finally, one of the most valuable types of donation to a collection comes from the public in the form of salvage. The University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates is actively participating with a variety of sources to expand the museum’s collections. If you have any questions about donating to the University of Wyoming Museum of Vertebrates please contact us.

Can I use an image of a specimen?

Yes, images of specimens from the collection are free to use. While the Museum does not provide a database of images we can provide interested parties with access to the collection to take photographs. Please see more information on visiting and accessing the collection here: http://www.uwymv.org/education-and-outreach/

Can I volunteer?

Volunteers play a big part in the running of the UWYMV, including such areas as specimen preparation, curatorial organization, archiving historical documents and images, and public outreach.

Volunteer opportunities are open to Univ. of Wyoming undergraduate and graduate students, staff and faculty, and members of the public. If you are interested in volunteering for the UWYMV please contact the museum for a volunteer form.

Share This Page:

Insect Museum

Rocky Mountain Herbarium

bi HOME | ABOUT | RESEARCH | EDUCATION | COMMUNITY SCIENCE | OUTREACH | NEWS | SHOP | GIVE