Research & Collections :: Collections at the State Museum :: Biology

The New York State Mammal collections hold over 15,000 skin, bone, fluid, and frozen tissue specimens for the scientific, educational, and artistic use. These specimens come primarily from New York State, but also include significant collections from California, Pennsylvania, Newfoundland, and Panama. Within New York, the collections include extensive series collected by Paul Connor in St. Lawrence, Otsego, and Schoharie counties, and Long Island. The earliest specimens in the museum include a sperm whale tooth from 1831 and three of the last cougars from the state, killed in the 1850's. The collection continues to grow with recent large collections of cottontails from the Hudson Valley, bats from wind turbines, and coyotes from throughout the Northeast.

Questions about the collections should be directed to the Mammal curator, Dr. Roland Kays, or the collection manager, Joe Bopp.