While at that time it was the object to collect various curiosities, at the onset of the 18th century research and documentation
of nature's diversity started. The collection grew rapidly thereafter. Several stuffed specimens of monkeys, part of the comprehensive
collection of Johann Natterer (1787-1843), are still on exhibition. Natterer travelled through Brazil from 1817 to 1835 on
a commission to collect scientific material for the museum. The mammal collection also keeps specimens collected by Carl Freiherr
von Hügel (1796-1870) in Asia between 1830 and 1836, as well as several items from the collection of Crown Prince Rudolf of
Austria (1858-1889), and parts of the hunting trophies gathered during the trip around the world made by Archduke Franz Ferdinand
of Austria 1892/93. Furthermore, the inventory has grown as a result of the collections made by Ida Pfeiffer (1797-1858) in
Madagascar, Emil Holub (1847-1902) and Rudolf Grauer (1871-1927) in Africa, as well as many others.
From the middle of the 1920s onwards, Otto Wettstein (1892-1967) published "Beiträge zur Säugetierkunde Europas" mostly based upon the material on small mammals collected in Austria. In 1933 "Die freilebenden Säugetiere Österreichs" appeared, a compiled volume by H. Rebel which remained the only available summary of the mammal fauna of Austria for a long time. At around the same period, collecting trips were carried out to south east Europe and Turkey by staff members of the mammal collection (O. Koller and O. Wettstein).
From the middle of the 1920s onwards, Otto Wettstein (1892-1967) published "Beiträge zur Säugetierkunde Europas" mostly based upon the material on small mammals collected in Austria. In 1933 "Die freilebenden Säugetiere Österreichs" appeared, a compiled volume by H. Rebel which remained the only available summary of the mammal fauna of Austria for a long time. At around the same period, collecting trips were carried out to south east Europe and Turkey by staff members of the mammal collection (O. Koller and O. Wettstein).
Philipp v. Oberländer (1875-1911). Industrialist. Hunting travels in North America and Africa. His main contribution to the
mammal collection was the funding of an excursion by R. Grauer to collect mammals in Central Africa (1909-1911).
After World War II, a phase of ardent collection activity began in Austria, as well as in the Balkans and the Near East. K.
Bauer discovered a new species of bat ( Plecotus austriacus ), and he also recorded some species new to Austria, among them the steppe polecat and the Illyrian vole. Among a large collection
of subfossile bat skulls from caves, mostly collected by biospeleological amateurs, Bauer identified the pond bat, a species
that does not occur in our country at present. In 1960 he published a comprehensive study on the mammals in of the Lake Neusiedl
region, Burgenland. The investigation of the mammals of Austria also remained an important focus of work later on. In 1970s,
the staff of the mammal collection, foremost B. Herzig-Straschil, started a large field program, collecting material from
all parts of Austria. Among others they discovered the Caucasian long-eared bat, alpine mouse, Millet's shrew, and the Bavarian
vole. F. Spitzenberger conducted ? partly in collaboration with Anton Mayer, former staff member of the collection ? numerous
surveys of the summer occurrences of house-dwelling bats in large parts of Austria.
As a result of this intensive collecting activity, 23 monographs of Austrian mammals ("Mammalia austriaca") were published
as contributions to the Mammal Fauna of Austria (F. Spitzenberger: Säugetierfauna Österreichs, Graz, 895 pp.) This comprehensive
work appeared in 2002. It contains maps of the current and Holocene geographic and altitudinal distribution of the 102 mammal
species recorded for Austria and detailed species accounts including information on the faunal history, former and present
distribution and numbers, ecology, threats and suggested protections measures.
Continuing an earlier house tradition, F. Spitzenberger conducted numerous excursions to Turkey, as well as Cyprus, Morocco,
Libya and East Africa. The publications on the specimens collected in Turkey form a basic inventory of information on the
mammals of Asia Minor.
