The Herpetology Collection of the University of Texas, Arlington includes 60,000 catalogued specimens and approximately 350 type specimens. The holdings have tripled in size over the past decade, particularly in its representatives from central and South America. This collection is rapidly becoming one of the most important research resources in the country for studies of tropical reptiles and amphibians. Dr. Jonathan Campbell, Curator of the collection, now proposes to initiate a computer database of the collection. The proposed database will increase the availability of specimens in the collection for research and teaching. Investigators will have more immediate access to information concerning specimens, and the growth of the collection will be managed more effectively. The maintenance and improvement of natural history collections such as this will assure that future generations of biologists will have comprehensive data on the diversity of life on Earth.
