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Collections

Natural History

 
Sheffield's extensive natural history collection contains a wide variety of animals and plants.

The botany collection dates back to the late 1700s. It includes marine algae and hundreds of species of plants, many of which are from the Yorkshire and Derbyshire regions.
 
montage of NAtural history images from the collection  
 
There are over 6,000 vertebrate specimens including, mounted skins, study skins, freeze-dried specimens, deep-frozen specimens, wet-preserved material, casts and eggs. Much of this material is historical, dating from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The majority of specimens are European, but African, Indian and Australian birds and mammals are also represented.

There are over 2,000 skeletons, including a good selection of British material, of which the bird collection is regionally outstanding.

The collection of over 90,000 invertebrate specimens grows each year. it consists primarily of insects, molluscs and myriapods, including extensive series of British butterflies and moths.

A Taste of the Collection
 
click to enlarge
  Barn Owl (Tyto alba)
A medium sized, pale owl which sits in a very upright position. Found throughout Europe except in the extreme north. The Barn Owl has special adaptations to its feathers so that it can fly silently and take its prey by surprise.
Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus)
The largest living species of bear. Unmistakable due to its size and white coat.
Found in the Arctic Circle.
Although most of the polar bear is extremely well camouflaged in the arctic, its black nose can be seen from 6 miles away through binoculars on a clear day. 		 
click to enlarge
click to enlarge
  Long Eared Bat (Plecotus auritus)
A medium sized bat with enormous ears found in most of Europe except extreme northern regions.

Long Eared Bats are also called whispering bats, as their echolocation is so quiet. Their big ears allow them to hear the movement of the insects they hunt.
Lesser Flamingo (Phoenicopterus minor)
Found in Southern Spain and France, also regular escapees from wildfowl reserves in Britain
Flamingos use their unusual down-turned beaks for filtering food from the water. They get their pink colouration from the shrimp that they eat. 		 
click to enlarge
click to enlarge
  Indian Python (Python molurus molurus)
Indian pythons may grow as large as 6 metres. Pythons are not poisonous, but crush their prey to death by constriction.
Stick Insects (Phasmida)
The foreign insect collection contains a wide variety of colourful and bizarre forms. These are some of the Bragg collection of stick insects.		  
click to enlarge
click to enlarge
  Soldier Flies (Stratiomys potamida)
The collection contains over 17,000 flies, the majority of which have been gathered locally as part of ecological surveys. Such surveys provide the information which helps to protect our local habitats.
Adonis butterflies (Lysandra bellargus)
Both the upper and under side of male and female specimens are shown. This series shows several unusual ‘aberrations’ in appearance of this species.		  
click to enlarge
click to enlarge
  Puffer Fish (Tetraodontidae)
From the Tetraodontidae family, also known as the Blowfish or Fugu. A medium sized fish, which, when threatened puffs itself up to the size of a ball, with sticking out spines. It is found in the Pacific Ocean, Sea of Japan and East China sea.

The Puffer fish is considered a delicacy but must be prepared by specially trained chefs as it contains a deadly poison. The gonads, liver and intestines accumulate a toxin which is 1250 times more deadly than cyanide….. And there is no known antidote!