CSBR: Ownership Transfer: Rehabilitation and digitization of a significant collection of amphibians, reptiles, and fishes through institutional networking

该奖项将支持将爬行动物、两栖动物和鱼类的收藏从西德克萨斯农工大学（WTAMU）转移到德克萨斯农工大学（TAMU）的生物多样性研究和教学收藏（BRTC）。WTAMU的藏品包括超过15,100种两栖动物和爬行动物标本和约30,000种鱼类标本。它有丢失的危险，但具有重要的科学意义。WTAMU收藏了来自德克萨斯州西部和北部的藏品，填补了物种分布知识的空白。该项目的一个成果将是在WTAMU适当地收集教学和区域参考资料，供动物学课程和自然资源机构使用。WTAMU的毕业生被聘为这些机构的生物学家，期望掌握标本鉴定的技能。在这个项目中建立的联系将增强WTAMU和BRTC收集的有用性。BRTC是WTAMU集合的合适存储库。BRTC两栖动物和爬行动物分部（101,000个标本）是美国第12大的，并有充分的地理参考。鱼类部门（66万个个体标本，共44,565件）的规模排名第20位，是在线的，80%的地理参考。WTAMU藏品的一个独特之处在于，它们是在研究海龟的生态学和保护过程中收集的同域鱼类、两栖动物和其他爬行动物。馆内至少有2060只淡水龟，包括34属和14属，每个属有5个以上标本。现存地图龟属标本719件，其中濒危物种caglei (caglei) 312件。该项目将支持两名研究生和多名本科生，他们将获得丰富的策展经验，并了解藏品的重要性。在这个项目中，新材料将通过德克萨斯州自然学家硕士项目、野生项目、野生飞行、科学和公民学以及利奥波德教育项目纳入外展活动。这些收集的数据将在地方、国家和国际生物多样性数据资源上提供，包括VertNet、全球生物多样性信息设施和iDigBio (https://www.idigbio.org/)，确保研究人员和公众可以访问这些数据。

This award will support the transfer a collection of reptiles, amphibians, and fishes from West Texas A&M University (WTAMU) to the Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections (BRTC) at Texas A&M University (TAMU). The WTAMU collection consists of more than 15,100 amphibian and reptile specimens and ca. 30,000 fish specimens. It is in danger of being lost, but has great scientific importance. The WTAMU collection contains holdings from West and North Texas that fill gaps in knowledge of species distributions. An outcome of the project will be a properly curated teaching and regional reference collection at WTAMU for use in zoology courses and by natural resource agencies. Graduates from WTAMU are employed as biologists for these agencies, with the expectation of skills at specimen identification. Linkages created during this project will enhance the usefulness of both WTAMU and BRTC collections.The BRTC is an appropriate repository for the WTAMU collections. The BRTC Division of Amphibians and Reptiles (101,000 specimens) is 12th largest in the USA and fully georeferenced. The Division of Fishes (660,000 individual specimens, catalogued across 44,565 lots) ranks 20th in size, is online and is 80 percent georeferenced. A unique feature of the WTAMU collection is that sympatric fishes, amphibians and other reptiles were collected during studies of ecology and conservation of turtles. It contains at least 2,060 freshwater turtles representing 34 genera and 14 genera represented by more than 5 specimens each. There are 719 specimens of map turtles in the genus Graptemys, including 312 specimens of the endangered Cagle's map turtle, G. caglei. The project will support two graduate students and multiple undergraduate workers who will gain extensive curatorial experience and understanding of the importance of collections. With this project, new material will be incorporated into outreach activities through the Texas Master Naturalist Program, Project Wild, Flying Wild, Science and Civics, and the Leopold Education Project. Data from these collections will be made available on local, national, and international biodiversity data resources, including VertNet, the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, and iDigBio (https://www.idigbio.org/), ensuring accessibility to researchers and the public.