A SURVEY OF RECENT MAMMAL COLLECTIONS IN ITALY

A survey was designed to assess the status of the collections of recent mammals in Italy through 79 questionnaires mailed to the main University institutions, municipal, provincial or regional museums and other institutions (including some private collections). We received 58 questionnaires (return rate of 73%). The minimum number of specimens in recent mammal collections in Italy is 161,268 (70% are in Italian collections and 30% in exotic ones). Most of these specimens are concentrated in a quarter of the collections. Taxidermy is the main preservation technique, above all in exotic collections (84%). 82% of the exotic collections date back to the 19(th) century, while specimens collected after 1950 form 91% of the Italian ones. During 20(th) century the Italian collections progressively increased in number and spread through the peninsula and in Sicily. Insectivora, Rodentia, Carnivora, Lagomorpha, Artiodactyla and Primates are represented in more than 80% of the collections. Research results the primary goal both in Italian (70%) and exotic (57%) collections.