Biology

The emphasis of the collection is on Iowa species, with North America specimens of secondary importance. International species are part of the collection for comparative purposes. Taxidermy specimens and scientific study materials make up the bulk of the collection in the following areas:

  • Entomology (insects)
  • Herpetology (reptiles and amphibians)
  • Ichthyology (fish)
  • Malacology (shellfish)
  • Mammology (mammals)
  • Ornithology (birds)
Displaying 1 - 47 of 47
Cat. # Name Description
1 00.26.122 Owl Snowy Owl  00.26.122 (Owl ) image
2 00.26.167A Pigeon Female Passenger Pigeon 00.26.167A (Pigeon) image
3 00.26.167B Pigeon Male Passenger Pigeon 00.26.167B (Pigeon) image
4 00.27.120 Porcupine Climbing up limb; limb attached to finish wood base. Canadian
5 00.27.23 Elk Antlers, labeled a. b. and c. a. The right antler. Has 6 points and measures 35 1/2" long, from base of antler to tip of highest point. Below the antler base is some skull bone. The bone is 2 1/2" long x 3 1/2" wide. At the top of the bone are 4 metal spikes drilled into the bone. The antlers are of a dark brown color. B. Left antler. Has 6 points and measures 37" long. The third point from the bottom appears to have been broken at one time. There is a split in the point and a visible nail where the two pieces were reattached. Below the base of the antler is some skull bone. The bone measures 2 7/8" long x 3 1/2" wide. There is some yellowing on the bone. The ridge of the bone has four metal spikes drilled into it. The antler is of a dark brown color. C. wooden mounting board. Cut into a shield shape with smooth edtes that are finished. The wood is stained on the front so it is darker than the back. At the very top of the piece of wood is a circle 7/8' in diameter. Below that are two small holes that could have come from nails. Under those holes is a rusty bolt that is attached to the wooden piece. The bolt is 3/8' wide. In the center of the wood is a metal piece that holds the antlers in place. The metal is cut to look like a shield and has decoration around its edges. The center of the metal has a picture of a forest scene and either a deer or elk standing in the center. The metal piece is attached by 5 screws, two on each side and one in the center of the bottom. The metal measures 13" long x 14 1/2" wide. The wooden board measures 20 1/2" long x 16" wide.
6 00.27.5 Claw Grizzley Bear Claw 00.27.5 (Claw) image
7 00.27.93 Hare Prairie hare - Leaping; landing on feet. 00.27.93 (Hare) image
8 11.11.11.349 Hare Snowshoe Hare 11.11.11.349 (Hare) image
9 1968.10.432 Tusk Small Elephant Tusk. 1968.10.432 (Tusk) image
10 1968.9.49.2 Turtle Part of carapace. A.,c. and d. 1968.9.49.2 (Turtle) image
11 1971.14.4 Tooth Whale tooth. 1971.14.4 (Tooth) image
12 1974.23.4.4 Tooth Whale Tooth. 1974.23.4.4 (Tooth) image
13 1974.23.4.5 Tooth Whale Tooth. 1974.23.4.5 (Tooth) image
14 1974.23.4.6 Bone Whale bone cut into a rectangle. 1974.23.4.6 (Bone) image
15 1989.43.433 Rhinoceros Horn?; skinny brown piece of what is believed to be horn.
16 1989.43.434 Tooth Small worn seal tooth 1989.43.434 (Tooth) image
17 1989.43.435 Tooth Sperm Whale Tooth 1989.43.435 (Tooth) image
18 1989.43.436 Tooth Walrus tooth 1989.43.436 (Tooth) image
19 1989.60.7 Claw Bear Claw. 1989.60.7 (Claw) image
20 1989.60.9 Cat Claw. 1989.60.9 (Cat) image
21 1995.30.1.23 Otter Otter Skin. Color: BR Skull deaccessioned 04/28/2023 1995.30.1.23 (Otter) image
22 1995.30.1.3 Rabbit, Eastern cottontail Eastern cottontail. Mounted on stick. Color: BR b and c (skull and mandible) deaccessioned 04/28/2023 1995.30.1.3 (Rabbit, Eastern cottontail) image
23 1995.30.2.1 Raccoon Parts a. - c. Skin and skull and bacculum. Mounted in flat lying position with tail straight behind. Color: BR 1995.30.2.1 (Raccoon) image
24 1995.30.2.3A Skunk Study Skin - Spotted Skunk 1995.30.2.3A (Skunk) image
25 1995.30.3.12 Rabbit, Eastern cottontail Study skin. Mounted on stick. Color: BK B and C (skull and mandible) deaccessioned 04/28/2023 1995.30.3.12 (Rabbit, Eastern cottontail) image
26 1995.30.3.2 Opossum Opossum skin - Study Mount Skull Deaccessioned on 4/12/2022 1995.30.3.2 (Opossum) image
27 1995.30.3.3 Skunk, spotted Study skin. Color: BK,WH,BR 1995.30.3.3 (Skunk, spotted) image
28 1995.30.5 Otter Study skin of river otter. Mounted flat lying position with tail straight behind. 1995.30.5 (Otter) image
29 1995.39.1 Lion Life size standing with head raised slightly up and mouth open on dirt-like base. Color: BR,BK
30 1995.39.15 Bear, Grizzly Life size, standing on 3 legs with front left paw slightly raised. Mouth open, head turned slightly left on dirt-like base. Color: BR,BK
31 1997.4.37 Carapace, sea turtle Polished. Evidence of barnacles on underneath edtes, and vestiges of spine are visible inside. Shiled-shaped, keeled. Overlapping plates and toothed margin. Variegated color. Color: BR 1997.4.37 (Carapace, sea turtle) image
32 1999.27.1 Leopard Leopard mounted on branch with a left head turn.
33 2004.16.1 Bear, polar Off white, yellowish full-size bear on snow-like mount with wheels. Open mouth. Head tilted to left. Front legs parallel, right hind leg slightly forward, left hind leg slightly back. Short hair on dorsal, long hair ventral. Completely carnivorous, live on seals.Found only in Arctic. Hunted from February through mid-April. Protected under Marine Mammal Act of 1972. Can no longer be brought into U. S. U. S. special permits are available for hunting. Color: WH,YL
34 2004.16.21 Fox, Arctic Lifesize mount on dirt-like brown base. Faces to its right. Mouth closed, tail up. Bushy white fur. Left back leg slightly forward. Color: WH,BR 2004.16.21 (Fox, Arctic) image
35 2006.9.10 Tooth Long curved, crescent-shaped walrus tooth with striated pattern widthwise and fine grooves along the length. Upper part of the tooth contains knobby protrusions and tip of the tooth has been chipped off. 2006.9.10 (Tooth) image
36 2006.9.11 Tooth Walrus tooth is large and tear-shaped with a texture similar to tree bark. Along one side there is a split/crack that runs nearly the entire length of the tooth Color: TN and BR 2006.9.11 (Tooth) image
37 2006.9.29 Tooth Small seal tooth; the root of the tooth is smaller and is narrower than the rest of the tooth. A shallow indentation runs lengthwise down the center of both sides of the tooth. The tip appears to have been broken off. 2006.9.29 (Tooth) image
38 2006.9.58 Tooth Broad crescent shape tooth (Non-Human). The convex side of the tooth has a shallow groove that runs the length of the tooth. The two sides of the tooth are bumpy and uneven. 2006.9.58 (Tooth) image
39 2006.9.61 Tooth Seal tooth - crescent-shaped and cylindrical. The piece is mostly tan until it becomes ivory and dark brown along a clear perpendicular line at the base of the tooth. This portion curves sharply and ends in a sharp point. 2006.9.61 (Tooth) image
40 2006.9.62 Tooth Seal tooth - arcs towards the tooth's tip. The upper portion is grey. The tooth abruptly turns tan along a distinct perpendicular line. Several grey veins can be seen in the tan portion; a crack runs the length of the tan portion. 2006.9.62 (Tooth) image
41 2006.9.63 Tooth Seal tooth that is mottled tan and brown, the tooth gradually flattens and narrows into a sharp tip. The piece arcs and the tip is curved sharply. The tip is cream colored. 2006.9.63 (Tooth) image
42 2006.9.64 Tooth Unerupted tooth of a toothed whale - Very smooth cylindrical tooth that makes an arc. The root of the tooth is flattened, while the tooth's tip narrows to a dull point. The tip is also more brown than the rest of the tooth. 2006.9.64 (Tooth) image
43 2006.9.65 Tooth Seal tooth - flat and arcs towards the tip. A shallow groove urns along the tooth's brown tip. The other side of the tip is tan. The root of the tooth is hollow and the top of the root is opened with a jagged hole. 2006.9.65 (Tooth) image
44 2006.9.68 walrus tooth A large tooth with wood-like fractures throughout. The piece is irregularly-shaped, with a flat-edged tip and a tapered funnel-shaped hole extending down into the tooth. 2006.9.68 (walrus tooth) image
45 2006.9.8 Tusk Long semi-cylindrical an slightly bowed walrus tusk. The surface of the tusk has a furrowed texture that runs the length of the top. One end of the tusk has chipped away, exposing a pulpy core. The flat base of the tusk reveals the pulp cavity which runs the length of the center of the tusk. 2006.9.8 (Tusk) image
46 2023-FIC-15 Owl, great horned None 2023-FIC-15 (Owl, great horned) image
47 2023-FIC-16 Owl, great horned Perched on branch 2023-FIC-16 (Owl, great horned) image
CSV