The Reptile Collection of the Museu de Zoologia, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

Brazilian scientific collections represent an important sample of the country’s biodiversity and are a testament to its history. The Reptile Collection of the Museu de Zoologia from Universidade Federal da Bahia (CRMZUFBA) has 5,206 specimens and 185 species (13 endemic to Brazil and 9 threatened) with one quarter of the known reptile species listed in Brazil, from over 175 municipalities. Although the CRMZUFBA houses species from all Brazilian biomes there is a strong regional presence. Knowledge of the species housed in smaller collections could avoid unrepresentative species descriptions and provide information concerning intraspecific variation, ecological features and geographic coverage.