Type Collection

The herpetological collections of the Australian Museum include over 500 primary type specimens (holotypes, syntypes, lectotypes, neotypes) and 3500 secondary types (paratypes, paralectotypes) - see Shea, G.M. and R.A Sadlier. 1999. Technical Report Australian Museum (15): 1-91 for a full listing to 1998.

Following are definitions of type terms:

Primary types

Holotype : A single specimen designated as the name-bearing type of a species or subspecies when it was established, or the single specimen on which such a taxon was based when no type was specified.

Syntype : Each specimen of a type series from which neither a holotype nor a lectotype has been designated.

Lectotype : A syntype designated as the single name-bearing type specimen subsequent to the establishment of a nominal species or subspecies.

Neotype : The single specimen designated as the name-bearing type of a nominal species or subspecies for which no holotype, or lectotype, or syntype(s), or prior neotype, is believed to exist.

Secondary types

Paratype : Each specimen of a type series other than the holotype.

Paralectotype : Each specimen of a former syntype series remaining after the designation of a lectotype.

In taxonomic coverage, the Australian Museum houses types of the amphibian families Bufonidae, Hylidae, Microhylidae, Myobatrachidae and Ranidae, and the reptile families Crocodylidae, Carettochelydidae, Cheloniidae, Cheluidae, Trionychidae, Agamidae, Gekkonidae, Pygopodidae, Scincidae, Varanidae, Boidae, Colubridae, Elapidae, Hydrophiidae and Typhlopidae.

Geographically, most of the type specimens represent Australian species, although there is also good coverage of New Caledonian and New Guinean species.

As expected, many of the type specimens represent taxa described by researchers and affiliates at the Australian Museum (including Gerard Krefft, James Ogilby, Edward Ramsay, Edgar Ravenswood Waite, Dene Fry, Allan McCulloch, James Roy Kinghorn, Harold Cogger, Allen Greer, Ross Sadlier, Peter Rankin and Glenn Shea).

The Australian Museum also received and houses:

• the extensive collections of J.J. Fletcher and S.J. Copland, including most of the types of species they described,
• the majority of herpetological type specimens from the Macleay Museum of the University of Sydney , on permanent loan (mostly types described by William John Macleay).
• many of the type specimens of the species controversially described by Wells and Wellington in 1984 and 1985.

Other non-affiliated researchers have lodged types in the collection, or described new taxa from specimens in the collection. Those authors represented by large numbers of types and species are Walter Brown, Patrick Couper, Jeanette Covacevich, Margaret Davies, Glen Ingram, Max King, Glen Storr, Michael Tyler and Richard Zweifel.

There is a small number of neotypes, new type specimens recently nominated and representing species described by early workers in Europe (Owen, Gray, Weinland and Arthur Bavay) for which the original type specimens are lost.

Identification of many of the type specimens described by the early researchers at the Museum is problematic, as the extent and nature of the type series was often not stated. Even when it was clearly stated that a species name was based on only a single specimen, the registration number of the holotype was generally not provided.  A numerical registration system was not initiated at the Australian Museum until 1877, and a specific herpetological registration system did not begin until 1886. It has been left to subsequent workers to compare likely types and their registration data (including localities, collectors and dates of accession) to original descriptions to identify the type specimens.

Herpetology Type Collection search

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You can combine the 3 search methods if you like, but the search may result in no records. If you select a family, you will be able to narrow your search to a particular species (Original Name) on the next screen.

One of the paratypes of Rheobatrachus vitellinus, the Eungella Gastric Brooding Frog, described in 1984. This unique species of frog underwent a dramatic decline within two years of its discovery and is now presumed to be extinct - museum specimens are all that remains for future study.

Paratypes of Litoria flavipunctata, a species of hylid frog described in 1975 from the New England Ranges. The species had however already been described in the middle of the previous century as Hyla castanea. As a consequence the name castanea has priority and flavipunctata is regarded as a synonym of the species Litoria castanea.

The syntypes of Tiaris boydii decribed by Macleay in 1884, the species is now known as Hypsilurus boydii, the Northern Angle-headed Dragon from  Northern Queensland.

Paratypes of Nephrurus amayae, one of several species of Knob-tailed Gecko recently described. This species and one other were formerly included the widespread species Nephrurus levis. A review of existing material in museum collections by Patrick Couper of the Queensland Museum recognised it was in fact a complex of several closely related species.

Copyright © Australian Museum, 2002