Collection

The Herpetological Collection of the Aranzadi Society of Sciences started up in the beginning of the 60's although it was in the 80's when most of the specimens joined the Collection, mainly from the Basque Country and Navarra. In 2007, a private donation increased the Collection in more than 2.000 specimens.

Today, the Collection counts up 3.815 specimens from 81 different species, 24 amphibians and 57 reptiles, all of them terrestrial. There are specimens coming from all of the Iberian territories, being represented 41 out of 49 continental counties and 2 out of 3 island-counties. There are also specimens from Europe (France, Portugal, Poland and Andorra) as well as some exotic species coming from different places of Asia, Africa and America. It is outstanding the fact that the Collection has got a serial type made up by 1 holotype and 3 paratypes of Vipera seoanei cantabrica, a subspecies of Seoane's viper described by Braña & Bas (1983).

Regarding this all, an in spite of its modesty, we can assume that the Herpetological Collection of Aranzadi has become the most important sample board of amphibians and reptiles located in the Basque Country.

It is currently being conditioned and actualized, following 3 objectives:

• To be part of the natural heritage of the Aranzadi Society of Sciences, and a reference of the local herpetofauna.

• To integrate the conserved material into the network of Natural Sciences museums and collections, making it available to expert scientists' consultation.

• To make use of its batches with science-popularization purposes, by using them in the specialized courses held by the Observatory of Herpetology.

List of amphibian species in the Collection

Order	Family	Species
URODELA	Salamandridae	Calotriton asper
		Salamandra salamandra
		Mesotriton alpestris
		Lissotriton boscai
		Lissotriton helveticus
		Triturus marmoratus
ANURA	Alytidae	Alytes obstetricans
	Discoglossidae	Discoglossus jeanneae
		Discoglossus pictus
		Discoglossus scovazzi
	Pelobatidae	Pelobates cultripes
	Pelodytidae	Pelodytes punctatus
	Rhacophoridae	Polyopedates megacephalus
	Bufonidae	Bufo bufo
		Bufo calamita
		Bufo marinus
	Hylidae	Hyla arborea
		Hyla japonica
		Hyla meridionalis
	Ranidae	Rana dalmatina
		Rana iberica
		Pelophylax perezi
		Rana temporaria
		Rana saharica

List of reptiles in the Collection

Order	Family	Species
SQUAMATA	Anguidae	Anguis fragilis
	Chamaeleonidae	Chamaeleo chamaeleon
	Scincidae	Chalcides striatus
		Ablepharus kitaibelli
		Mabuya vittata
		Chalcides montanus
		Eumeces algeriensis
	Gekkonidae	Hemidactylus turcicus
		Saurodactylus mauritanicus
		Tarentola mauritanica
		Tarentola neglecta
	Lacertidae	Acanthodactylus erythrurus
		Messalina olivieri
		Algyroides marchi
		Gallotia atlantica
		Lacerta agilis
		Lacerta bilineata
		Lacerta schreiberi
		Lacerta cappadocica
		Lacerta rudis
		Lacerta saxicola
		Iberolacerta cyreni
		Iberolacerta monticola
		Timon lepidus
		Timm tanginatus
		Zootoca vivipara
		Podarcis bocagei
		Podarcis hispanica
		Podarcis muralis
		Podarcis atrata
		Podarcis pityusensis
		Podarcis sicula
		Podarcis vaucheri
		Psammodromus algirus
		Psammodromus hispanicus
		Ophisops elegans
		Takydromus takydromoides
		Takydromus septentrionalis
	Corytophanidae	Laemanctus longipes
	Agamidae	Agama impalearis
		Agama stellio
		Calotes versicolor
		Uromastyx acanthnurus
	Colubridae	Hemorrhois hippocrepis
		Hierophis viridiflavus
		Hierophis jugularis
		Coronella austriaca
		Coronella girondica
		Zamenis longissimus
		Rhinechis scalaris
		Malpolon monspessulanus
		Natrix maura
		Natrix natrix
	Viperidae	Vipera aspis
		Vipera latasti
		Vipera seoanei
		Vipera berus