@AMNH

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world's preeminent scientific and cultural institutions. This is not a monitored account.

 New York City
amnh.org/
Joined October 2008
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  • Following866
  • Followers47K
13.5KMedia
Behold the striking colors of the blue-spotted stingray! Its bright spots are a warning to onlookers that it's venomous—& if its colors aren’t enough to ward off foes, it’s equipped w/ a tail that can inject a lethal dose of toxins.
A photo of a blue spotted stingray. The animal is a dark greenish gray with a multitude of vibrant blue spots. Its body is flat and pancake-shaped.

ALT A photo of a blue spotted stingray. The animal is a dark greenish gray with a multitude of vibrant blue spots. Its body is flat and pancake-shaped.

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What’s one of the world’s spookiest fungi? The dead man’s fingers. Its “fingers” are its fruiting body, and they can grow up to 4 in (10 cm) tall! You might spot it in forests growing on decaying or dead wood in parts of North America and Europe.🧟
Pale finger-like fruiting bodies protruding from the ground beside a tree trunk. It looks as if a pair of hands are reaching out from below.

ALT Pale finger-like fruiting bodies protruding from the ground beside a tree trunk. It looks as if a pair of hands are reaching out from below.

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American Museum of Natural History retweeted
Major League Soccer
@MLSOct 15
Our trophy season is getting closer. 🏆 @AMNH has @newyorkcityfc's hardware on display among other sports titles: soc.cr/4B5SGsx
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Meet the long-tailed semi-slug. Unlike the shells of snails, semi-slugs’ shells are too small for the animals to retract their bodies into. This critter can often be spotted wrapping its tail—which measures three times the length of its body—around itself like a cat.
A photo of a long-tailed semi-slug on a green leaf. The animal is gelatinous, with vivid green skin and a small shell on its back. Its tail is curled around itself.

ALT A photo of a long-tailed semi-slug on a green leaf. The animal is gelatinous, with vivid green skin and a small shell on its back. Its tail is curled around itself.

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🦕🦖👣 Step into this archival image from 1961, featuring the Glen Rose Trackway in the Museum’s Hall of Early Dinosaurs. The smaller prints of these 107-million-year-old fossilized dino tracks were made by a theropod. The larger ones were probably left by a sauropod.
A photo of a boy sitting on the Glen Rose Trackway. The boy is dressed in red and is wearing long red socks.

ALT A photo of a boy sitting on the Glen Rose Trackway. The boy is dressed in red and is wearing long red socks.

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Crikey! Meet Irwin’s snapping turtle. The late Steve Irwin, and his father Bob, spotted this rare reptile in the early 1990s & contacted herpetologist John Cann. He was the first to describe this species—and he named it after the Irwins! It can be found in Queensland, Australia.
A profile photo of Irwin's snapping turtle. It has green skin with pink on its nose.

ALT A profile photo of Irwin's snapping turtle. It has green skin with pink on its nose.

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Trilobite lovers, meet the blue green chiton! Though it resembles some trilobites, this critter is actually a mollusk that inhabits waters around Australia & New Zealand. Growing about 1.4 in (3.5 cm) long, this nocturnal critter can roll into a ball when threatened or disturbed.
A photo of blue green chitons on a rock. The animals have oblong, multi-segmented bodies and somewhat resemble a pill bug. Two of them are dull green, one is a pastel shade of blue green, and another is orangey in color.

ALT A photo of blue green chitons on a rock. The animals have oblong, multi-segmented bodies and somewhat resemble a pill bug. Two of them are dull green, one is a pastel shade of blue green, and another is orangey in color.

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The Philippine tarsier is one of the world’s smallest primates, measuring ~5 in (13 cm) long & weighing ~5 oz (142 g)—roughly as large as a baseball. It uses its large eyes (each of which is about the size of its brain) to hunt insects at twilight.
A photo of a tarsier. It has huge eyes, brown fur, and long fingers.

ALT A photo of a tarsier. It has huge eyes, brown fur, and long fingers.

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It’s Fossil Friday! Unlike its three-horned cousin Triceratops, Styracosaurus had a singular nasal horn & huge spikes on its frill. It may have used its headgear to defend against predators, attract mates, or compete with rivals.
A photo of Styracosaurus on display in the Museum. It is brown in color, with a parrot-like beak, large nasal horn, and spiky frill.

ALT A photo of Styracosaurus on display in the Museum. It is brown in color, with a parrot-like beak, large nasal horn, and spiky frill.

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The Resplendent Quetzal inhabits the cloud forests of Central America at elevations of up to 10,00 ft (3,048 m). Males showcase brilliant iridescent green plumage that contrasts with a vibrant shock of red on their bellies, and their tail feathers can grow ~3 ft (0.9 m) long!
A photo of a Resplendent Quetzal sitting on a tree branch surrounded by leaves. The bird has a bright green head and shoulders, red chest, and white and green tail feathers.

ALT A photo of a Resplendent Quetzal sitting on a tree branch surrounded by leaves. The bird has a bright green head and shoulders, red chest, and white and green tail feathers.

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The Grandidier's baobab, also known as the renala, may live to be more than 300 years old! Scientists are unable to confirm these trees' exact age because baobabs don't produce annual growth rings. This species of baobab is found only in Madagascar's dry deciduous forests.
A tall Grandidier's baobab tree soaring in the daylight. From afar, their bark looks smooth and the tree tops are a flat, oval-like shape. The Sun is bright in the blue sky in the background.

ALT A tall Grandidier's baobab tree soaring in the daylight. From afar, their bark looks smooth and the tree tops are a flat, oval-like shape. The Sun is bright in the blue sky in the background.

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The world’s largest terrestrial invertebrate? That would be the coconut crab. It can span ~3 ft (1 m) long from leg tip to leg tip & weigh ~8 lbs (4 kg)! It inhabits coasts off of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Scientists have compared its pinching power to a lion’s bite force!🥥🦀
A photo of a coconut crab on the ground. The crab is blue in color with red eyes and reddish markings. It has long limbs and strong-looking front claws.

ALT A photo of a coconut crab on the ground. The crab is blue in color with red eyes and reddish markings. It has long limbs and strong-looking front claws.

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What’s a spiny lumpsucker? No, it’s not a nickname for your ex. This fish's body shape and small fins mean that it isn’t the best swimmer, but a powerful pelvic fin helps it stick to solid surfaces, acting like a suction cup to hold it in place as it hides from predators.
A photo of a spiny lumpsucker directly facing the viewer. It is pale gray in color and round in shape, with a bumpy texture covering its body.

ALT A photo of a spiny lumpsucker directly facing the viewer. It is pale gray in color and round in shape, with a bumpy texture covering its body.

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Few things make it feel more like fall than the foliage of the red maple tree. #DYK? It sports something red all year round: in winter, it has red buds; in spring, red flowers begin to bloom; in summer, the leaf stalks turn red; & in autumn, the foliage is a vivid orange-red.🍁
A photo of many red maple leaves arranged artfully on a tree stump. The leaves vary in color from greenish to yellow to deep red.

ALT A photo of many red maple leaves arranged artfully on a tree stump. The leaves vary in color from greenish to yellow to deep red.

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#DYK? The short beaked echidna is a monotreme, meaning it’s one of the few mammals that lays eggs instead of bearing live young. And? This species is unusually long-lived, with individuals living up to 50 years in captivity. This spiky critter can weigh ~15.4 lbs (7 kg).
A photo of a short-beaked echidna on the forest floor. It is covered by blonde spiky protrusions. Its long snout is visible from beneath the bramble of spines.

ALT A photo of a short-beaked echidna on the forest floor. It is covered by blonde spiky protrusions. Its long snout is visible from beneath the bramble of spines.

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This cricket isn’t named Jiminy. Growing ~1.9 in (5 cm) long, the armored bush cricket uses powerful jaws to feed on a diet that includes leaves, other crickets, & even nestling birds. When threatened, it's able to squirt a distasteful liquid called hemolymph at foes.
A photo of a bush cricket on a human hand. The insect is large in size and grayish in color with red eyes.

ALT A photo of a bush cricket on a human hand. The insect is large in size and grayish in color with red eyes.

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What’s up? Not the ground pangolin. It spends most of its time on the ground, creating underground burrows to snooze in during daylight. At night, it uses its long tongue to slurp up insects. When threatened, it can roll up into a ball, protecting its soft body from predators.
A photo of a ground pangolin. The animal has a small head and slightly elongated snout. Its body is covered in pinecone-like scales. It has clawed feet.

ALT A photo of a ground pangolin. The animal has a small head and slightly elongated snout. Its body is covered in pinecone-like scales. It has clawed feet.

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Who’s this fuzzy noodle? That would be the long-tailed weasel. North America’s largest weasel, this nocturnal critter feeds on small mammals, insects, and birds. It inhabits the burrows of other species, but it’s also a skilled climber that can often be found in the trees.
A photo of a long-tailed weasel. It is standing on its hind legs and has an extremely long and thin torso.

ALT A photo of a long-tailed weasel. It is standing on its hind legs and has an extremely long and thin torso.

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Meet the gold-mouth sea squirt! This filter-feeder draws in water through an opening known as a siphon to devour phytoplankton and bacteria. It can be found in waters off of Southeast Asia and Australia.
A photo of a gold-mouth sea squirt. It is yellow in color with purple splashes throughout its oblong body. Its siphon hole is visible.

ALT A photo of a gold-mouth sea squirt. It is yellow in color with purple splashes throughout its oblong body. Its siphon hole is visible.

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Why does the binturong smell like buttered popcorn The answer is... pee! A chemical compound-2-acetyl-1-pyrroline-in this critter's urine is the same one found in popcorn. It uses its signature scent to mark its territory and attract mates.
A photo of the binturong. It is primarily black in color, with a gray face and long whiskers, and resembles both a cat and a bear. Its mouth is slightly open.

ALT A photo of the binturong. It is primarily black in color, with a gray face and long whiskers, and resembles both a cat and a bear. Its mouth is slightly open.

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