National Museum of Natural History (U.S.). Division of Reptiles and Amphibians

The collection of reptiles and amphibians under the care of the Smithsonian Institution had its origins in the collection of Spencer F. Baird, which he presented to the Institution when he came to Washington to accept the position of Assistant Secretary in 1850. For the next three decades there was no curator officially in charge of the collection, and most of the early publications resulting from the collection were produced by Baird and Charles Frederic Girard, who from 1850 to 1860 was Baird's chief assistant. H.C. Yarrowan army surgeon was appointed Honorary Curator of Herpetologyin 1879. A Department of herpetology was established during the initial organization of the United States National Museum (USNM) in 1880.

During the early 1880s the Department was know variously as the Department of Herpetology, the Department of Reptiles, and the Department of Reptiles and Batrachians. By about 1885, the latter title had become standard. In 1897, as a result of a reorganization of the USNM, it became the Division of Reptiles and Batrachians of the newly created Department of Biology. In 1947, the name was changed to Division of Reptiles and Amphibians. The same year, the Division came under the administrative control of the Department of Zoology, and in 1964 became a division of the newly established Department of Vertebrate Zoology.

The Division is responsible for managing one of the largest and most important collections of reptiles and amphibians in the world. Its staff performs a variety of collection management activities including accessioning and cataloging new collections, preparing specimens, and loaning specimens to researchers unable to visit Washington. Divisional curators undertake research programs which often utilize the collections.

Curators of the Division of Reptiles and Amphibians have included H.C. Yarrow, Honorary Curator, 1879-1889; Leonhard Stejneger, Curator, 1889-1943; Doris M. Cochran, Assistant Curator, Associate Curator, and Curator, 1927-1968; James Arthur Peters, Associate Curator and Curator, 1964-1972; George R. Zug, Associate Curator and Curator, 1969- ; W. Ronald Heyer, Associate Curator and Curator, 1972- ; and Kevin de Queiroz, Assistant Curator and Associate Curator,1991- .

Smithsonian Institution Archives, Agency History. Record 218090