Ngadlu tampinthi ngadlu Kaurna Miyurna yartangka. Munaintya puru purruna ngadlu-itya. Munaintyanangku yalaka tarrkarriana tuntarri.

We acknowledge we are on Kaurna Miyurna land. The Dreaming is still living. From the past, in the present, into the future, forever.

Biological sciences collection

Our biological sciences collections encompass a diverse range of fauna, from parasites to whales. Over three million animal specimens have been collected in the last 150 years through systematic surveys and collecting trips, donations and acquisitions.

biological tissues in test tubes

Biological tissues

The Australian Biological Tissue Collection (ABTC) was the first frozen tissue collection in any Australian museum and is one of the largest wildlife tissue collections in the world.

a group of bird specimens stored in a drawer

Birds

This collection consists of approximately 62,000 specimens.

A spiky fish specimen

Fish

The Museum’s ichthyology collection has a strong regional focus, with freshwater fishes of southern and central Australia and Southern Ocean fishes well represented.

Two taxidermied tasmanian tigers in a storage container

Mammals

The mammal collection comprises more than 26,000 specimens.

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Marine invertebrates

The Marine invertebrates collection is currently represented by 23 phyla and holds more than one million specimen lots including 1,700 holotypes, 11,300 secondary types, 33,000 registered lots and 1,400 microscope slide preparations.

Parasites stored in glass jars in the South Australian Museum's collection

Parasites

Whether we like it or not, most animals — including humans — share their bodies with parasites such as worms, fleas, lice and ticks.

Reptile specimens preserved in jars

Reptiles and amphibians

Herpetology, a term derived from the Greek word for ‘creeping animals’, is the scientific study of reptiles and amphibians.

A scorpion preserved in a glass jar in the South Australian Museum's spiders, scorpions and ticks collection

Spiders, scorpions & ticks

Arachnids comprise the fascinating eight-legged terrestrial invertebrates and include spiders, scorpions, pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, ticks and mites.

terrestrial invertebrate specimens in the South Australian Museum collection

Terrestrial invertebrates

The Entomology and Collembola Collections at the South Australian Museum are comprised of animals in the classes Insecta (insects) and Collembola.

GALLERY

Marine life beneath Edithburgh jetty, South Australia: Fan worm (Sabellastarte australiensis) on jetty pile with Porcupine fish (Diodon nicthemerus).

A drawer of bird eggs in the Birds Collection in the Museum's Science Centre where many of our scientists work.

Fish Collection Manager, Ralph Foster, retrieving a billfish specimen preserved in a tank containing ethanol.

Coming up next

Collection

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Humanities