Catalogue of type specimens deposited in the Herpetology Collection of the Natural History Museum Gustavo Orcés V. at Escuela Politécnica Nacional (Ecuador)

• Published in: Biodiversity data journal Vol. 11; pp. e108596 - 12
• Main Authors: Almendáriz, Ana, Almeida-Reinoso, Diego, Guerra, Monica A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers 29.08.2023
• Subjects: Americas; Amphibia; Animalia; Biodiversity; Data Paper (Biosciences); Ecuador; Geographical distribution; MEPN; Museums; Natural history; Reptiles & amphibians; Reptilia; type specimens; Zoology; Ecuador; Ecuador; MEPN-H; Atelopus; Amphibia; Reptilia; type specimens; Enyaloides; Atractus; Pristimantis
• ISSN: 1314-2828; 1314-2836; 1314-2828
• DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.11.e108596

The Herpetology Collection of the Natural History Museum Gustavo Orcés V. at Escuela Politécnica Nacional (MEPN-H) in Quito maintains more than sixteen thousand curated specimens and it comprises Ecuador ´s second largest collection of herps. The Collection contains 193 type specimens: 14 holotypes, 34 paratopotypes and 145 paratypes, which correspond to 10 families, 17 genera and 32 species. The collection of type specimens is particularly important in the genera and in amphibians and the genera and in reptiles. An assessment of the geographic distribution showed that collection sites of type specimens are clustered towards the south of Ecuador in the provinces of Zamora Chinchipe, Morona Santiago and Pastaza in the Amazon Region; and in the provinces of Carchi and Azuay in the Andes. The collection of type specimens dates from 1955 to 2013, comprising an invaluable source of historical biodiversity data.