KAISERSLAUTERN: Zoological Collection of the University of Kaiserslautern

Abstract

The Zoological Collection of the University of Kaiserslautern was established in 1973 by Prof. Dr. Erwin Tretzel (28 May 1920–28 April 2001), who was a renowned arachnologist and ornithologist. Most of the specimens of the Kaiserslautern collection were prepared by the taxidermist Burghardt Hasenbein, beginning in March 1973 until his retirement in 2011. Today the Zoological Collection of the University of Kaiserslautern comprises about 35,000 specimens of approximately 4000 species. These species belong to invertebrate zoology (insects, arachnids, crustacean, molluscs and others) and vertebrate zoology (mainly birds and mammals, few reptiles, amphibians and fish). The majority of the zoological specimens originate from Germany. Geographically the emphasis is on species that come from the Palatinate region in southwestern Germany. This region belongs to the UNESCO biosphere reserve of the Palatinate Forest/North Vosges.

Specimens cover terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats. Vertebrates include large numbers of most of the species of small mammals and birds occurring in Germany. While the majority of the vertebrate specimens are kept as cabinet skins, there are also many mounted specimens of different shapes and sizes shown in permanent exhibitions. An osteology collection of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals contains skulls and skeletons, with many of them being mounted. The Zoological Collection of the University of Kaiserslautern offers resources mainly for teaching purposes but also for research objectives in biodiversity and ecology. Collections of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) from the Palatinate region, established by Rudolf Heuser between the 1920’s and 1970’s, are of particular scientific value. An extensive collection of caddisflies from the Palatinate Forest, mostly larvae, serves as a resource for current ecological research topics.