SDNHM Mammology Collection

Mammals: About 23,450 specimens, about 20,000 skins, almost all with accompanying skulls. About 960 complete skeletons, including virtually all species of southern California and a broad variety of marine mammals, both pinnipeds and cetaceans. The mammal collection was first accredited by the American Society of Mammalogy in 1975 and most recently re-accredited in 1995. Taxonomic coverage: Almost all species of western North America, including Baja California. Rodents are by far the group best represented, with over 20,200 specimens. Other notable components are over 1900 specimens covering 52 species of bats, 236 specimens covering 28 species of cetaceans, and 142 specimens covering 14 species of pinnipeds. Of mammal families worldwide, 80 are represented, a coverage extended by the museum's status as a repository for specimens from the San Diego Zoo. 6150 specimens are from the peninsula of Baja California and are the foundation of Laurence M. Huey’s “The Mammals of Baja California, Mexico (Trans. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 13:85-168, 1964). 5271 specimens from San Diego County are the foundation of the San Diego County Mammal Atlas (Proc. San Diego Soc. Nat. Hist. 46, 2017), which addresses the identification, distribution, and ecology of San Diego County's mammals. Type specimens: Holotypes of 87 subspecies and 2 species.