Vertebrate Zoology collection
The Vertebrate Zoology collection includes 80,000 specimens of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fish, and is rich in specimens more than 150 years old.
This is part of the Natural History collection
The bird collection numbers about 44,000 study skins, 4,000 mounted birds and 17,000 clutches of eggs, including many examples of extinct and endangered species. The mammal collection comprises 2,000 study skins, 400 mounted mammals and 6,700 fluid-preserved specimens including a large number of UK bats. The collection of 5,600 amphibians, reptiles and fish are mostly preserved in fluid. The osteology collection covers all the vertebrate groups across 3,600 specimens.
The collection was founded when the 13th Earl of Derby bequeathed his large zoological collection to the people of Liverpool in 1851. The collection was first housed in ‘The Derby Museum of the Borough of Liverpool’ which would evolve into National Museums Liverpool.
The Vertebrate Zoology collection is registered in the GBIF Registry of Scientific Collections as NML-VZ.
Please use this record as a general citation to the Vertebrate Zoology collection.
For Vertebrate Zoology collection enquiries please contact: vertebratezoology@liverpoolmuseums.org.uk