filter_framesUniversity of Michigan Museum of Zoology, Reptiles and Amphibians Field Notebooks

The Reptiles and Amphibians Field Notebooks Collection consists of approximately 286 field notebooks. These notebooks contain information related to the collection of Herpetology specimens held at the University of Michigan Museum of Zoology (UMMZ). While some of the notebooks are merely logbooks of collections with species identifications for each field number with places and dates, others have much more detailed information including field conditions, habitat notes, specimen descriptions including colors and measurements, as well as detailed maps.

Included here are the nineteen Field Notebooks of former University of Michigan Professor, Laurence Cooper Stuart. Thirteen of these document the travels and collections from his expeditions to Guatemala between 1933 and 1966. The journals are records of the collections and describe collection sites in great detail (many with hand drawn maps). Oftentimes, field researchers supplement field notes with photographs. In 2014, the UMMZ acquired the extensive film collections (kodachromes and black and white rolls) as a generous gift from Larry Stuart’s daughter (granddaughter of Alexander Ruthven). Digitization and association of images with specimen collections remains a work in progress. As a supplement, images of Guatemalan people and places from Stuart’s travels are now ready to browse as Markets, People, and Buildings.

View a presentation about the Laurence C. Stuart photos and Reptiles and Amphibians Field Notebooks (scanning specifications PDF available for download on the Attachments tab).

Rights and Permissions

The University of Michigan Library provides access to these materials for educational and research purposes. These materials may be under copyright. If you decide to use any of these materials, you are responsible for making your own legal assessment and securing any necessary permission.