Mammals in the collection of the Zoological Museum of Zaporizhia University: overview and unique specimens

Abstract

The history of formation and the current state of mammal collections of the Zoological Museum at Zaporizhia National University are considered. The essay comprises two main sections: a general description of the museum and a survey of unique specimens. The first presents historical information as well as a depiction of the building and a general description of the collection. The second section deals with the analysis of unique specimens as evidence and sources for valuable faunal data and as elements of the museum display. The museum was established in 1997, although the period of amassment of materials and the history of the osteological collection had already begun in 1987, when the Faculty of Biology was established at the University of Zaporizhia. The exposition of the museum consists of both skin-mounts and osteological materials (skulls) displayed in glass cabinets and on stands. This part of the exhibition is designed as a separate hall of the museum (“Green” hall) devoted to mammals and birds. However, the main part of the scientific collection of skulls (more than 800 specimens) is stored in cabinets located in working rooms of the Department of Forest Biology, Game Management, and Ichthyology. These are the working materials collected by scientists and students of the department. The osteological collection includes 240 skulls of Vulpes vulpes, 89 of Canis lupus, 77 of Ondatra zibethicus, 77 of Lepus europaeus, 57 of Nyctereutes procyonoides, 27 of Martes foina, 9 of Canis aureus, and 4 of Lutra lutra, which is in total 580 specimens. Though the number of ungulate speci­mens has yet to be accounted, their number is not less than the number of carnivores. The displayed part of the mammal collection is represented by 4 groups of notable specimens, including dynamic figures (representing game mammals of the local fauna), collection of skulls (1 or 2 specimens of each species, mainly of the size of a hedgehog or weasel to the size of a moose), exotic species (including monkeys, megabats, armadillos, etc.), and rare species of fauna of the Azov region. Among faunistically valuable specimens collected in Ukraine are such rare species as follows: 1) Allactaga major (1 specimen, 2011, near Primorsky Posad, Zaporizhia Oblast; 2) Spalax microphthalmus (1 specimen, skin-mount, Lysa Hora, near Vasylivka, Zaporizhia Oblast, 12.2013); 3) Plecotus austriacus (1 specimen, vicinities of Kushugum, Zaporizhia Oblast, 12.2018); 4) Desmana moschata (1 specimen, Sumy Oblast, 20.11.2018).