Vertebrates
 The vertebrate zoology collections of the Utah Museum of Natural History hold national and regional importance as resources for information on vertebrate biodiversity. The collections originated and developed during decades of field surveys undertaken by faculty and students of University of Utah They continue to grow through ongoing research by Museum staff and University associates and through acquisitions from outside agencies and researchers. There are three principal vertebrate collections:
The herpetology collection includes nearly 20,000 cataloged specimens including several type specimens and several hundred addional uncataloged specimens. Approximately half of the collection is from the Intermountain West. Early records of historical importance were assembled by Angus Woodbury and his students. Later work by John Legler and students led to the development of major holdings from Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Australia, and one of the largest collections of turtle specimens in North America.
The UMNH bird collection includes approximately 20,000 specimen records, and is one of the largest in the Intermountain West. Nearly 600 species belonging to 75 families in 21 orders are represented. The collection's principal growth was achieved through the work of William Behle and his students on the birds of Utah and surrounding states. There also are substantial specimen holdings from the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and the South Pacific region. Records from the egg collection date back to the 1870's provide some of the earliest information on breeding habits of birds from the Intermountain region.
With more than 31,000 specimens, the Museum's mammal collection is one of the largest in western North America. The collection includes 40 holotypes of Utah mammals (the 12th largest number of types in North American collections). Nearly 300 species from 52 families and 13 orders are represented. Although the collection includes material from throughout the world, nearly 90% of the specimens are from Utah and surrounding states reflecting the work of Stephen Durrant and students on regional mammals. Important historical material includes several thousand specimens from the Bonneville Basin, as well as collections from Glen Canyon, Flaming Gorge, and other locations within the Colorado drainage that have since been inundated by reservoirs.
Primarily intended as research resources, the Museum's vertebrate collections support original work in fields as diverse as systematic zoology, functional morphology, molecular genetics, historical biogeography, community ecology, conservation biology, and zooarchaeology. Collection resources are utilized for instruction at all levels, including several upper division courses at the University of Utah, and graduate and faculty research in the departments of Biology, Anthropology, and Geography. The collections also provide reference material for a variety of artists and craftspeople
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