Research in the Herpetology Section is focused on the diversity, distribution, origins and conservation of Australian and Melanesian reptiles and amphibians, emphasising South Australia and the Australian arid zone. This fauna is well-represented in the Museum's Herpetology Collection.
Recent studies have included taxonomic revisions of arid-zone lizards from several families, phylogenetic studies of major lizard groups using genetic techniques, studies on fossil lizard remains, and conservation and ecology of endangered lizard species. All four research areas are currently the focus of new work. Studies in Herpetology are carried out in collaboration with several other groups within and outside the Museum, including the Evolutionary Biology Unit, the South Australian Department of Environment and Water, and the imaging facilities of the University of Adelaide's Microscopy Centre.
In 1992, Dr Mark Hutchinson, Honorary Researcher, Herpetology received a very unexpected phone call. Amateur herpetologist Graham Armstrong, a long-time collaborator with the Museum, excitedly informed Mark that he had just found a pygmy blue tongue.
South Australian reptile keys
South Australia has a rich diversity of reptile species, totalling approximately 245 species.