Mammals (Hall 33 - 39)

Rooms 33 – 39 present mammals in systematic sequence. The specimens are displayed free-standing, in glass display cases and in dioramas. About 470 dermoplastics in seven display rooms illustrate the enormous diversity of mammal species (the entire collection today comprises between 80,000 and 100,000 specimens).

The bulk of the museum's dermoplastics and several thousand skins are stored in an underground vault at a constant temperature of 10 degrees Celsius. Because of the low temperature, no chemical pesticide treatment is needed. The collection also includes several thousand specimens preserved in alcohol.

Apart from material important for biology research – such as numerous type specimens (reference specimens for the naming of a species) – the collection also includes historically precious objects, such as the primates collected by Johann Natterer in the 19^th century in South America.

The Collection

Scientists are aware of some 6,000 species of mammals, and new species are described at regular intervals. About 300 million years ago, the line leading to mammals split from the one leading to reptiles and birds (the nearest living relatives of mammals).

The collection of the NHM Vienna encompasses 80,000 – 100,000 mammals from all groups, among them specimens of historical value from the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries, as well as some species that became extinct in recorded history (e.g. Tasmanian tiger, crescent nail-tail wallaby, quagga and blue antelope). Most of the objects held are skins, skeleton preparations, furs and alcohol preparations, but there are also about 2,000 dermoplastics.

Apart from material important for biology research – such as numerous type specimens (reference specimens for the naming of a species) – the collection also includes historically precious objects, such as the primates collected by Johann Natterer in the 19^th century in South America.

Highlights

Hall 33

Thylacine
Thylacinus cynocephalus. Also Tasmanian tiger. Tasmania, Australia. 1870.
There are very few mounted specimens of this extinct species in the world today. The example at the NHM is one of the most beautiful.

Brown-throated sloth
Bradypus variegatus. Borba, Rio Madeira, River Amazon, Brazil. 1830.
When naturalist Johann Natterer found this sloth during the Austrian expedition to Brazil and sent it to the NHM in 1830, it was a true rarity in Europe.

Hall 34

Southern elephant seal
Mirounga leonina. South Atlantic, Falkland Islands. 1901.
Very few museums own a specimen this large, and even fewer have one over a hundred years old. The skin, skull and teeth are original; the skeleton is in storage.

Steller’s sea cow
Hydrodamalis gigas. Also giant sea cow, formerly borkentier. Northern Pacific. 1897.
Of the 27 extant skeletons of this extinct species worldwide, none is complete. The almost complete specimen at the NHM is the only one with pelvic bones.

Okapis
Okapia johnstoni. Also forest giraffe. Mbau, Kivu, Zaire, now Congo. 1910.
When these two okapis went on display at the NHM Vienna in 1910, the discovery of the species was still quite sensational in Europe. To this day, okapis are rarely seen at museums.

Hall 35

Javan rhinoceros
Rhinoceros sondaicus. Asia. Mounted specimen, 1801.
This Javan rhinoceros is not only the oldest mounted animal at the NHM, it is also one of the oldest and best preserved historic mounted specimens in the world.

Przewalski’s horse
Equus ferus przewalskii. Also Mongolian wild horse, Asian wild horse. Prague. Circa 1940.
This Przewalski’s horse is the pure-blooded offspring of a population from the Altai Mountains and a direct descendent of the 54 animals used to save the subspecies.

Hall 36

Wisent
Bison bonasus. Also European bison. Bialowieza, Poland. 2005. Calf: Schönbrunn Zoo. 1923.
Unlike most of the exhibits at the NHM, the wisent group is shown in surroundings that seem realistic. The adult animals come from a sanctuary in Bialowieza.

Takin
Budorcas taxicolor. Asia. Mannequin mount, 1908.
NHM Vienna is the only museum in Central Europe to have a takin skin mount on display. It was bought in London in 1908, and was considered exceptional even then.

Hall 37

Siberian musk deer
Moschus moschiferus. Asia. Mounted specimen, 1912.
These two musk deer were killed in 1912 in Siberia. The species is still being hunted and poached for the male’s musk gland and is greatly threatened.

Hall 38

Binturongs
Arctictis binturong. Also Asian Bearcat, Palawan Bearcat. Schönbrunn Zoo. 1904 and 1905.
These historic mounts of the rare Asian viverrid hold enormous appeal because of the facial expression and stance, which make the binturongs seem almost alive.

Snow leopard
Panthera uncia. Also ounce. Schönbrunn Zoo. 1943.
Snow leopards are the most threatened big cats on Earth. Thanks to a breeding program, they can now frequently be seen at zoos, but are seldom displayed at museums.

Giant panda
Ailuropoda melanoleuca. Also panda bear. Sifang, Szechuan, now Sichuan, China. 1909.
Although giant pandas are doubtlessly one of the best known animal species, there are at most only 3,000 of them in the world today. They are rarely shown in museum collections.

Hall 39

Madagascan aye-aye
Daubentonia madagascariensis. Madagascar. Mounted specimen, 1907.
Aye-ayes, primates in the lemur group threatened by extinction, are seldom displayed in natural history museums, although they are remarkable in several ways.

Gelada
Theropithecus gelada. Also bleeding heart baboon. Ethiopia. 1854.
This very rare primate arrived at the NHM in 1854 thanks to the efforts of naturalist Theodor von Heuglin. Unusually for the time, it was mounted in a realistic pose.

Hall 33 - Monotremes, Marsupials, Bats, Eulipotyphla (Insectivores), Rodents, Edentates and Pangolins

Displayed in this hall are the monotremes, marsupials, shrews and their allies, bats, rodents, and hares, as well as anteaters, armadillos and sloths, and the pangolins.
The fauna of Australia and its destruction through introduced species is also presented as a special theme. In the display cases by the wall to Hall 32 (display cases 1-4) the typical features of mammals, such as milk glands, hairs, and the secondary mandibular articulation, are explained.

On display are: Platypuses, koalas, kangaroos, the Tasmanian tiger, insectivores, hedgehogs, bats, squirrels, marmots, hamsters, beavers, capybaras, chinchillas, porcupines, lagomorphs, anteaters, sloths and pangolins.
A rarity in this hall is the thylacine or Tamsanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus). The dermoplastic at NHM Vienna is one of the most beautiful in the world. Also, the brown-throated sloth (Bradypus variegatus), sent to the NHM Vienna in 1830, is a true rarity.

Display-cases 5, 29-30 and 34-41: The fauna of Australia
As Australia is a continent that has been isolated from the other continental land masses for more than 50 million years, its isolated and somewhat archaic mammals often did not survive confrontation with evolutionary more “modern” mammals. This has been documented by the devastating effects that introduced species have had on the Australian fauna.

The Linne’s two-toed sloth (Chloepus didactylus) on display was collected in Brazil, in 1831, by Johann Natterer. Further, this hall shows three extinct species of kangaroos.

Highlights in Hall 33:

Thylacine
Thylacinus cynocephalus. Also Tasmanian tiger. Tasmania, Australia. 1870.
There are very few mounted specimens of this extinct species in the world today. The example at the NHM is one of the most beautiful.

Brown-throated sloth
Bradypus variegatus. Borba, Rio Madeira, River Amazon, Brazil. 1830.
When naturalist Johann Natterer found this sloth during the Austrian expedition to Brazil and sent it to the NHM in 1830, it was a true rarity in Europe.

Hall 34 - Hall of Large Mammals: whales, elephants, giraffes, hippopotamuses, en elephant seal and sea cows are displayed

African savanna elephants (Loxodonta Africana) are the largest mammals on Earth. The males grow to an average height of 3.2 m and weigh on average 5 tons.

As opposed to the African savanna elephant, the Indian or Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) is said to be more easily tameable and is used for riding and working.
The large male southern elephant seal (Mirounga leonine) on display in this hall is from the Falkland islands. Elephant seals are the largest seals, and so called not only because of their size, but also in reference to the trunk-like noses of the males.

Giraffes (Giraffa camolopardalis) are savanna-dwellers and are the tallest land animals in the world. With their lips above 4 m above the ground, they can pluck leaves and buds from trees. Despite their enormously long necks, giraffes have just seven cervical vertebrae like all other mammals.
By the wall to Hall 35 two Okapis (Okapi johnstoni) are displayed. Okapis, discovered only in 1900, are archaic relatives of the savanna-dwelling giraffe. In fact, they are forest giraffes. As animals of the forest, they are much smaller than the long-necked giraffe.

On the opposite side of the room from the large land mammals are the whales (Cetacea) and dolphins (Delphinidae).
Baleen whales, such as the finback whale, whose skeleton is on display, feed on marine plankton, mainly made up of tiny crustaceans.

The skull of a sperm whale is on display. A bottle-nosed dolphin, a white-beaked dolphin and an Amazon river dolphin represent the family of dolphins in the hall.

The rare skeleton of the extinct Steller’s sea cow (Hydrodamalis gigas) is extremely valuable. The species is (was) related to the dugong and the manatees, displayed in the same hall.

Highlights in Hall 34

Southern elephant seal
Mirounga leonina. South Atlantic, Falkland Islands. 1901.
Very few museums own a specimen this large, and even fewer have one over a hundred years old. The skin, skull and teeth are original; the skeleton is in storage.

Steller’s sea cow
Hydrodamalis gigas. Also giant sea cow, formerly borkentier. Northern Pacific. 1897.
Of the 27 extant skeletons of this extinct species worldwide, none is complete. The almost complete specimen at the NHM is the only one with pelvic bones.

Okapis
Okapia johnstoni. Also forest giraffe. Mbau, Kivu, Zaire, now Congo. 1910.
When these two okapis went on display at the NHM Vienna in 1910, the discovery of the species was still quite sensational in Europe. To this day, okapis are rarely seen at museums.

Hall 35 - Hoofed animals

The hoofed animals or ungulates (Ungulata) can be divides into perissodactyls or odd-toed animals (Perissodactyla – horses, tapirs, rhinoceroses) and artiodactyls or even-toed animals (Artiodactyla – cattle, pigs, camels).

Display case 4 shows the Przewalski’s horse (Equus caballus przewalskii). It is considered the wild form of the domestic horse, found over the world today. Compared to the domestic horse, Przewalski’s horse has a stocky body, a relatively short neck, and a bigger head.

The wild boar is on display in case 8. The Eurasian wild boar (Sus scrofa) is the wild form of the domestic pig. Wild boars are omnivores and very adaptable. In central Europe their numbers are increasing mainly due to the intensified cultivation of maize, and more frequent colonization of settled areas. Wild boars are forest-dwellers.

In display case 2 are four of the five living rhinoceros species (Rhinocerotidae). The taxidermy specimen of the Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus) is especially noteworthy. This male, 14 months old, was originally designated for the Tiergarten Schönbrunn (Vienna Zoo), but died in 1801 during transport. It was taxidermically prepared for the Natural History Collection and has not been changed since that time. It is very well preserved and one of the oldest taxidermy specimens of the Mammal Collection.

A Burchell’s zebra (Equus quagga), a mountain zebra (Equus zebra) and a Grevy’s zebra (Equus grevyi) are displayed together in display case 3, in a dried-up riverbed in the African savanna. Burchell’s zebra is the most widespread species today.

Display case 7 shows camels (Camelidae). They can survive for up to 10 months without drinking. When a thirsty camel reaches a water hole after a long period of privation, it can drink more than 100 liters of water within 10 minutes.

Peccaries (Tayassuidae) are pig-like artiodactyls of Central and South America, and displayed in the case by the wall to hall 34. In the middle of their backs they have a navel-like scent gland. This gave them their German name “Nabelschweine” (“navel pigs”). The Chacoan peccary (Catagonus wagneri) is one of four species. It was only discovered in 1972. It lives only in a relatively small area of the Gran Chaco bordering Paraguay, Argentina, and Bolivia.

The bovines (Bovini) are horned animals, in display in case 6. Besides the African buffalo (Syncerus caffer) this display case shows the American bison or “buffalo” (Bison bison) used to graze by the millions on the prairies of North America. Around 1900 the bison were almost extinct. Thanks to protection measures, there are again herds in some of the nature reserves in the USA.

Highlights in Hall 35

Javan rhinoceros
Rhinoceros sondaicus. Asia. Mounted specimen, 1801.
This Javan rhinoceros is not only the oldest mounted animal at the NHM, it is also one of the oldest and best preserved historic mounted specimens in the world.

Przewalski’s horse
Equus ferus przewalskii. Also Mongolian wild horse, Asian wild horse. Prague. Circa 1940.
This Przewalski’s horse is the pure-blooded offspring of a population from the Altai Mountains and a direct descendent of the 54 animals used to save the subspecies.

Hall 36 - Goats, Sheep, Ibexes, Gazelles, Antelopes etc.

The Cretan wild goat (Capra aegagrus cretica) is on display in case 7. As their meat and horns are highly valued, the goats were heavily hunted and their population depleted.

Mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus) are characterized by their year-round white coat. They have a thick undercoat covered with straight hair up to 10 cm long. With this equipment they can even stand temperatures below -45°C.
In the beginning of the 20^th century, the population of Japanese serows (Naemorhedus crispus) had become so small that the species was considered threatened. In 1955 it was declared a Japanese “natural monument” and protected. Since then the population has recovered. Today their number is given at approximately 100 000 animals.

On display are chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra) and then wild sheep (Ovis) and ibexes (Capra) in the display cases 2 and 4.

Display case 4 shows the six species of wild sheep with their impressive horns. Among them is also the mouflon (Ovis orientalis), the wild form of domestic sheep. In display case 2, almost all of the ibex species can be seen in front of a mountain scene, their common habitat, among them the well-known Alpine ibex (Capra ibex).

Antelopes of Africa can be seen in the largest display case of the hall, display case 3. Among the many mounted specimen on display, the giant eland (Taurotragus derbianus), the greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros), and the pair of gerenuks (Litocranius walleri) are absolutely outstanding.

The display case at the window side shows the takin (Budorcas taxicolor). It seems to combine the features of bovines, chamois, goats, sheep and antelopes in its body. Zoologically, it belongs to the group of Caprinae like the goats.

The largest landscape diorama of the museum, display cases 5 and 6, was constructed on the occasion of the Polish-Austrian commemorative year, 2002-2003. It celebrates the rescue of the European bison or wisent (Bison bonasus), the largest forest mammal, which Polish conservationists were able to save at the last possible moment.

Highlights in Hall 36

Wisent
Bison bonasus. Also European bison. Bialowieza, Poland. 2005. Calf: Schönbrunn Zoo. 1923.
Unlike most of the exhibits at the NHM, the wisent group is shown in surroundings that seem realistic. The adult animals come from a sanctuary in Bialowieza.

Takin
Budorcas taxicolor. Asia. Mannequin mount, 1908.
NHM Vienna is the only museum in Central Europe to have a takin skin mount on display. It was bought in London in 1908, and was considered exceptional even then.

Hall 37 - Artiodactyls

The display cases 1 and 2 show antelopes. Duikers (Cephalophinae) are shy, small, horned antelopes. They live in Africa south of the Sahara. They lead an extremely hidden life and it is for this reason that new species are still being discovered.

The pronghorn (Antilocapra Americana) thrives in the prairies and semi-deserts of North America. Its pronged horn is made up of fused hairs and rests on an undivided bony ridge, as in bovines.
Saigas (Saiga tartarica) live in the Asian steppes. They resemble small, light sheep with a big head. Their most striking feature is their proboscis-like, enlarged nose.

The nilgai (Boselaphus tragocamelus) lives in the forests of India and southeastern Pakistan. The name nilgai means probably “blue cow”, for the nilgai bulls are blueish grey. The Hindi word “nil” means “blue” and “gai” might be a transmogrified form of “cow”.
The deer family (Cervidae) is on display in case 6. Their most striking feature is without doubt their antlers. In most deer species only the males grow antlers, reindeer being the exception, where both sexes have antlers.
The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is the largest free living animal in central Europe. It is almost only still found in forest biotopes.
The large, North American relative of the red deer is the elk or wapiti (Cervus Canadensis). Wapitis are clearly larger than European red deer.

Display case 5 show the musk deer (Moschus moschiferus), which live mainly in forested mountain regions of central and eastern Asia. The musk gland of an adult musk deer contains about 30g of an odorous, ointment-like substance – for which it is well known.
Roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) can be found almost all over Europe, including Scandinavia and also in Asia Minor and Siberia.
Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), called caribou in North America, thrive in the northern regions of Europe, Asia and North America. In contrast to all the other deer species, female reindeer also grow antlers.
Chevrotains and mouse-deer (Tragulidae) are not much bigger than hares. They have neither horns nor antlers. Mainly males have elongated canines that project tusk-like out of their mouths; they are used in defense and in fights. The water chevrotain (Hyemoschus aquaticus) lives in central Africa. Mouse-deer live in south and Southeast Asia in thickets of the rain forests close to water.

Highlights in Hall 37

Siberian musk deer
Moschus moschiferus. Asia. Mounted specimen, 1912.
These two musk deer were killed in 1912 in Siberia. The species is still being hunted and poached for the male’s musk gland and is greatly threatened.

Hall 38 - Carnivores

Display cases 1 and 2 show cats. After brown bears and wolves, the Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx) is the largest carnivore in central Europe.
The spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) is the largest of the African hyenas. It lives in savannas and open grasslands south of the Sahara.

Tigers (Panthera tigris), on display in case 6, are the largest of all cats. Their distribution ranges from India eastward to China and Southeast Asia, and northward beyond the Amur to eastern Siberia. Tigers are primarily forest animals. In the cover of the undergrowth, stripes give them the best camouflage.

The cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus) is the fastest sprinter among the mammals. The slender cat can accelerate within three seconds to a maximum speed of 102 km/h. Today cheetahs are almost only found in Africa, south of the Sahara. In Asia, there are only a few tiny populations.

After the tiger, the lion (Panthera leo) is the largest cat, and thus the largest carnivore in Africa. Today, lions are confined to areas south of the Sahara. North of the Sahara, lions died out in the 1940s, and the Asian lion population was almost completely exterminated during the 20^th century as well. A small group is restricted to one area in India.

Display cases 2-5 und 7: The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the only fox species in central Europe. Its habitat includes forests, grasslands, fields, and more and more often, also human settlements. Red foxes are not confined to Europe, they also live in Asia, North Africa, and North America. In Australia, foxes were introduced around 1850.
Wolves (Canis lupus) were extinct in Austria for a long time. In recent years, single individuals have turned up in Austria again. Wolves live in family groups, which join into larger packs in the winter.

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) lives in the mountainous provinces of Sichuan, Gansu, and Shaanxi, in China. Pandas live on densely forested, subtropical mountain slopes. They are primarily ground-living, but they can also climb and swim very well.

The European brown bear (Ursus arctos arctos) has been exterminated in many regions. In west and central Europe there are only a few left. They feed mainly on plants, on small animals such as insects of frogs, and on carrion.

The polar bear (Ursus maritimus) is the largest terrestrial carnivore on Earth. It lives exclusively in the Arctic, the polar regions around the North Pole. Its fur is a wonderful insulation against the cold. Polar bears are day-active and – like all bears – solitary. The main staple of their diet is seals.

The walruses (Odobenus rosmarus) inhabit the cold oceans of the Northern Hemisphere. There are two subspecies, the Atlantic and the slightly bigger Pacific walrus.

Display case 3: The stoat or ermine (Mustela erminea) is a species of the family of weasels and relatives (Mustelidae). They are found in Europe throughout the Pyrenees, the Alps, and the Carpathians, and areas northwards, in northern and central Asia, including Japan, and in parts of Greenland, Canada and the northern USA. Stoats were introduced into Australia and New Zealand, where they developed into a serious ecological problem.

The Eurasian badger (Meles meles) is a shy forest-dweller, with a distribution over all of Europe and also Asia. Badgers belong to the weasel family.

Highlights in Hall 38

Binturongs
Arctictis binturong. Also Asian Bearcat, Palawan Bearcat. Schönbrunn Zoo. 1904 and 1905.
These historic mounts of the rare Asian viverrid hold enormous appeal because of the facial expression and stance, which make the binturongs seem almost alive.

Snow leopard
Panthera uncia. Also ounce. Schönbrunn Zoo. 1943.
Snow leopards are the most threatened big cats on Earth. Thanks to a breeding program, they can now frequently be seen at zoos, but are seldom displayed at museums.

Giant panda
Ailuropoda melanoleuca. Also panda bear. Sifang, Szechuan, now Sichuan, China. 1909.
Although giant pandas are doubtlessly one of the best known animal species, there are at most only 3,000 of them in the world today. They are rarely shown in museum collections.

Hall 39 - The Hall of Primates – Prosimians, Monkeys, and Apes

Marmosets and tamarins (Callitrichidae), shown in display case 1, live in the rain forests of South America. They are the smallest true monkeys, with claws on their fingers and toes – except for the large toe, which has the flat nail typical for primates. Marmosets feed mostly on tree saps. To get to the sap, they cling to vertical stems and gnaw small holes into the bark.

Display case 2 shows Capuchin Monkeys. The white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) are the best-known capuchin monkeys. Their range stretches from Honduras in Central America to Colombia. Their name comes from their fur pattern, which resembles the cowl of a Capuchin monk.

Tarsiers (Tarsius) are shown in display case 4. They are nocturnal prosimians living on the islands of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Their most prominent feature is their enormously large eyes, which are very sensitive to light, and enable them to see at night.
Galagos are also prosimians. Brown greater galagos (Otolemus crassicaudatus) live mainly in forests, sometimes also in savannas, and even in city parks. They are active at night foraging, and sleep during the day in their nests.

The aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis) had been discovered in the second half of the 18^th century on the west coast of Madagascar. Aye-ayes look like a cross between a monkey and a bat. One of the most striking features is the elongated, bony middle finger that they use to catch insects in small holes in trees, or to scratch the pith from bamboo sticks they have bitten open.
Also the red ruffed lemur (Varecia rubra) lives, like all the lemurs, exclusively in Madagascar forests.

Display cases 5 and 6 show Old World Monkeys.
Guereza colobus (Colobus guereza) have striking black and white fur and a stumpy thumb. They live in forests from Nigeria to Ethiopia and in eastern Africa.
Red-eared monkeys (Cercopithecus erythrotis) live in Nigeria and Cameroon.
Hamadryas baboons (Papio hamadryas) live in northeastern Africa and on the western Arabian Peninsula. They inhabit semi-deserts, savannas, and rocky areas which offer sufficient drinking possibilities.

The distribution area of the white-handed gibbon (Hylobates lar, display case 3) extends from southwestern China and eastern Myanmar to Thailand and the entire Malayan Peninsula.
Gibbons are tailless primates, and their front limbs are much longer than their back limbs. This is beneficial for their primary form of locomotion, brachiation, or swinging from branch to branch, which is unique in the animal kingdom.

Large Apes (Hominidae) are in display case 7.
Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus), which means “forest man” in Malayan language, belong to the apes, and survive only in the lowland rain forests and lowland swamps of northern Sumatra and Borneo.
The eastern lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla graueri) is one of two gorilla species.
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) are our closest relatives. They are very intelligent and social; we share 98% of our genetic information with them.

Highlights in Hall 39

Madagascan aye-aye
Daubentonia madagascariensis. Madagascar. Mounted specimen, 1907.
Aye-ayes, primates in the lemur group threatened by extinction, are seldom displayed in natural history museums, although they are remarkable in several ways.

Gelada
Theropithecus gelada. Also bleeding heart baboon. Ethiopia. 1854.
This very rare primate arrived at the NHM in 1854 thanks to the efforts of naturalist Theodor von Heuglin. Unusually for the time, it was mounted in a realistic pose.