Browse the Collections

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science (NMMNHS) Research Collections Database includes over 110,000 records documenting fossils and biological specimens held by the museum.

The NMMNHS Amphibian and Reptile Collection is a small collection of approximately 50 specimens from the Southwestern US. Most of the specimens are fluid-preserved, with a few skeletonized. The collection grows from salvage and incidental catches.

The New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science paleontology collection contains approximately 80,000 cataloged Items. The strengths of the collection include the fauna and flora of the Kinney Brick Pennsylvanian Lagerstätten, Permian trackways and traces, Triassic reptiles and amphibians, Late Cretaceous invertebrates and reptiles, Paleocene mammals and reptiles, and Neogene mammals.

The NMMNHS Entomology collection has grown from various donors, volunteers and staff since the opening of the museum. There are around 7500 specimens, with a focus in spiders, beetles, and butterflies from the Southwestern US. The spiders are primarily preserved in alcohol while the insects are pinned.

The NMMNHS Mollusc collection was started by the donation of the Ostheimer Collection when the museum opened. The collection also includes a land snail collection from Dr. Rick Smartt and various smaller collections from donors, volunteers and staff. The Mollusc collection has around 15,000 specimens, with the majority in the dry collection. Many of the specimens are from the Southwestern US, but the majority represents the Mollusca biodiversity from the Pacific-Indian Oceans.

The NMMNHS Herbarium has mostly grown from volunteer and staff collecting. The collection focuses on New Mexico and has more than 3500 specimens. We are actively collecting and adding to the collection.