Mammal collections in Peru: diagnosis and perspectives

Mammal collections play a pivotal role for society documenting the mammalian diversity of our planet and supporting the growth of various scientific disciplines. Despite Peru being recognized as the third most mammal-diverse country in the world, the number of institutions holding mammal collections in the country is limited. In addition, a thorough evaluation of their status and scientific role is lacking. To assess the status of the mammal collections in Peru, we contacted 16 collections recognized by SERFOR (Servicio Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre) and successfully obtained information from 13 of them (as of April 2022). These collections house approximately 84842 specimens, with 93% concentrated in two national institutions: MUSM (Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos) and MUSA (Museo de Historia Natural de la Universidad Nacional de San Agustin), whereas the other collections (11) are considered small-sized collections. Also, it is a great concern that 16 of the 24 departments in Peru lack any mammal collections. Our data indicate that most records are represented by voucher specimens, and while all collections have digitized databases, the formats used are not standardized across institutions. Furthermore, most collections have their holdings unavailable online. Geographically, MUSM and MUSA have a national coverage, while the others, determined by holding size and scope, are considered regional. Considering the number of specimens, Rodentia and Chiroptera are the best represented orders, followed not even closely by the other orders. About species representation, it is a concern that 49 species are currently not represented in any Peruvian collection. On the other hand, 45 holotypes are housed in Peruvian collections. This study reveals that Peru houses an important volume of mammalian specimens; however, considering the high mammal diversity, these numbers are far from a good representation. The results highlight the urgent need for more field surveys and specimen collections to address the underrepresentation of Peruvian mammal diversity.