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The Macleay Collections house some 1500 mammal specimens.

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The Mammal Section holds collections of some 40,000 specimens - preserved either as skins + skulls (or whole skeletons), mounted specimens, or whole specimens or parts in alcohol or formalin. The particular strengths in these collections are in:

• Danish mammals --with special mention the very large series of Danish bats (some 3,500 specimens), rodents, harbour porpoises, badgers, and others;
  
  
• Greenland mammals --terrestrical (with exceptionally large series of polar bear, reindeer, musk ox, whalrus, narwhal) as well as marine (most notable famous collection of whale skeletons with a good taxonomic representation, containing many specimens from the last century).

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The Mammalogy Department has a collection of some 11,400 catalogue records that includes some 6550 skins, 9800 partial to complete skeletons, 500 taxidermy mounts, and approximately 80 whole specimens in fluid. The storage of soft tissues for DNA and other molecular analyses was initiated recently. The collection focuses on Alberta and documentation of the distribution of species is more complete for the southern portion of the province. Although the collection of Alberta mammals is the primary focus here making this Museum among the largest and most representative of Alberta mammals, more recently, the Museum has expanded its inventory by acquiring non-Alberta species as well. Mammals are featured here in the Habitat Gallery and other ongoing natural history exhibits.
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Zoology - The Specola Museum was opened to the public in 1775, and it is the oldest scientific museum in Europe. It holds the largest collection of anatomical waxworks in the world, manufactured between 1770 and 1850 and over 3,500,000 animals, of which only 5,000 are in view to the public.

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The Zoological Museum consists of five (5) main sections:

• The Introductory Hall contains exhibits showing the diversity of life forms, results of animal migration studies and examples of ecological adaptation;
• The Norwegian Hall shows the animal life of Norway from the seashore to the highest windswept peaks where the ptarmigan finds its precarious basis for existence. Everything is displayed in its natural habitant. Here, for instance, you can see a beaver dam or watch the pre-mating antics of a wood-grouse!
• The Spitsbergen Hall shows scenes from arctic animal life;
• The Animal Geography Hall you will find animals from the whole world -from penguins in the frozen landscape of the South Pole to chimpanzees and okapi in the rainforest of Africa; and
• The Systematic Hall where there is a display of Norways animals, from the single celled organisms upwards to the largest mammals. You can also listen to recordings of animal sounds in this hall.

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The Collection of Vertebrate Animals contain roughly the material listed below.

• Mounted animals: 6,000; Skins and Furs: 10,000; Skulls: 11,500; Skeletons: 1,500; Fluid Specimens: 6,000

  The computer inventory of said collections is nearly finished: as of January 1997 over 95% of all specimens have been registered. A searchable database via a gopher server is also available.
  

• Domestic Dogs -
  • --An important research center of the Museum is the Albert Heim Foundation for Canine Research with some 2000 dog skulls (not available to the general public and accessible only on special appointment). One of the undisputed treasures of this Research Center is the nearly complete dog skulls from Neolithic settlements.

    --Of the 320 or so canine breeds recognized by the International Canine Federation (FCI), seven of these breeds have always been attributed to Switzerland and form part of that country's national heritage. These seven national breeds of Switzerland are:

    • -four (4) breeds of cattle dogs (Bernese Mountain Dog, Appenzell Mountain Dog, Entlebuch Cattle Dog, and Great Swiss Mountain Dog),

      -one (1) breed of large, mastiff-type mountain dog (St. Bernard Dog), and

      -two (2) breeds of scent hound Swiss Hounds and Smaller Swiss Hounds)

    and they are presented and detailed in the Swiss Canine Breeds site.

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