Herpetological Collection

The Centre for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology (Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, UMR 5175) is located on the CNRS campus, in Montpellier, and preserves a herpetological collection of great scientific value under the Biogeography and Ecology of Vertebrates laboratory of the EPHE. This laboratory was created in 1969 by Pr. N. Bons in Montpellier. 

Pr. Roger Prodon took up his position in this laboratory in 2000. Initially located in Montpellier 2, the laboratory obtained the status of EA 3581 in 2002 and has been the subject of a formalization, and signed 3 European contracts as well. Since 2007, it has been a component of UMR 5175 (Center for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, Department of "Dynamics and Governance of Ecological Systems") under the direction of Pr. Claude Miaud. The maintenance of the herpetological collections (new jars and change of the conservation alcohol) was paid for by the CNRS but the animal collections belong to the EPHE.

The collection kept on the site consists of a large herpetological collection (amphibian, snake, reptile, turtle and physiological tissues) preserved in alcohol. An inventory is kept by the laboratory technician. There is also a collection of (physiological) tissues accompanied by sheets that are always updated by the technician and enriched by a donation from Pr. Claude Miaud. This collection is completed by printed matter (monographs, journals, dissertations and theses) used to document it and more broadly for herpetological research.

The volume of the printed collections is of the order of 19 ML, i.e. about 800 works.

The Collection in a few figures:

- 10 823 samples
- the second herpetological collection in France after the MNHN
- about 4000 jars (ethanol at 96°)
- about 550 taxa, collected from 1849 to 2010
- 2 paratypes
- a database that is constantly updated and disseminated