Cole Museum of Zoology

{{Short description|University museum in Berkshire, England}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}

{{Infobox museum

| name = Cole Museum of Zoology

| native_name =

| native_name_lang =

| image = Cole Museum of Zoology Elephant Skeleton.JPG

| imagesize = 200

| caption = The skeleton of the circus elephant that dominates the main floor of the museum

| alt =

| map_type = United Kingdom Reading

| map_caption = Location within Reading

| map_alt =

| coordinates = {{coord|51.442375|-0.945414|display=inline,title}}

| established = Early 20th century

| dissolved =

| location = Reading, Berkshire, UK

| type = University museum

| collection = Zoology

| visitors =

| director =

| president =

| curator = Dr Amanda Callaghan[http://www.reading.ac.uk/colemuseum/about/clmu-staff.aspx Staff List - University of Reading] Accessed 2014-18-08

| publictransit =

| network =

| website = {{URL|reading.ac.uk/colemuseum/}}

}}

The Cole Museum of Zoology is a university museum, part of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Reading. It is located on the ground floor of the Health and Life Sciences building on the university's Whiteknights Campus in the town of Reading, Berkshire, England.

The collection was established in the early 20th century by Francis J. Cole (Professor of Zoology), Dr Nellie B. Eales (who catalogued the collection), and Mr Stoneman, from 1907 to 1939 when Cole retired.[http://www.culture24.org.uk/am20203 Cole Museum of Zoology, Reading], Culture24, UK. On Cole's death in 1959, the University also purchased his library of books, which are kept as a special collection in the main library.

The museum has recently been moved to the new Health and Life Sciences building. It contains about 4,000 specimens of which about 400 are on display at any one time. Specimens are arranged in 14 cases in taxonomic sequence, thus enabling a complete tour of the diversity of the animal kingdom. Specimens include a male Indian circus elephant skeleton, a 5-metre reticulated python skeleton containing 400 vertebrae, a fossil of the largest spider to ever have lived, and a false killer whale skeleton.