American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world's preeminent scientific and cultural institutions. This is not a monitored account. amnh.org New York City Joined October 2008

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

2 days ago

Today's Exhibit of the Day? A blast from the past! This archival image, snapped in 1938, depicts Museum preparators sculpting a model Triceratops. This model is no longer on display, but Triceratops fans can spot a fossil skeleton in the Hall of Ornithischian Dinosaurs.

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

4 days ago

Happy Father’s Day from the Gold-specs jawfish! Dads-to-be of many jawfish species carry eggs in their mouths. To attract mates, males “dance” with sweeping movements & fin-flashing—opening their mouths as wide as possible to boast their mouthbrooding potential!

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

a week ago

Have you ever seen the red-shanked douc? The markings on this fashionable primate’s legs resemble bright red trousers! This monkey is a picky eater that closely inspects food, such as fruit & leaves, before consumption. It prefers unripe fruit and young leaves.

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

2 weeks ago

Meet Prevost’s squirrel! Growing ~22 in (55.8 cm) long from nose to tail, this colorful mammal inhabits forests in parts of Asia. It’s crepuscular, meaning it’s most active at dawn and dusk. Its diet includes seeds, fruit, flowers, insects, and bird eggs.

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

2 weeks ago

🌈 This #FossilFriday, behold the dazzling colors of an iridescent ammonite. Over millions of years, high temperatures & pressures turned its shell to a gemstone called ammolite. Along with amber & pearl, this gem is one of only a few made by living organisms.

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

2 weeks ago

The blunthead slug snake isn't like other snakes. This nocturnal reptile, which primarily feeds on slugs and snails, eats using a technique called mandibular sawing. To slice off the indigestible parts of prey, this species slides its jaws back and forth like a saw!

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

2 weeks ago

While the crab-eating fox’s name implies that crabs make up most of its diet, this canid is omnivorous and has a wide-ranging menu that changes with the seasons! During the dry season, it may snack more on insects; during the wet season, it favors crustaceans.🦀🦊

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

2 weeks ago

Meet Cuvier’s dwarf caiman! It's the smallest living crocodilian, growing ~4.9 ft (1.5 m) long & weighing ~15.4 lbs (7 kg). It’s native to parts of South America, where it might be spotted basking in the Sun along the shores of the Amazon or Orinoco rivers.

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

3 weeks ago

Smile like Megalochelys atlas because it’s #FossilFriday! This species was one of the largest known land turtles & lived during the Late Pliocene ~2 million years ago. This specimen’s shell measures ~7.4 ft (2.3 m) long & in life, it may have weighed over 2,000 lbs (907 kg)!

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

3 weeks ago

Looking for the emperor shrimp? Check the backs of nudibranches & sea cucumbers! Hitching a ride helps this tiny crustacean move from location to location with ease & avoid predators. Scientists think the emperor shrimp might also “clean” its hosts by removing harmful parasites.

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

3 weeks ago

You won’t spot the Pink-necked Green Pigeon on the streets of NYC! This colorful bird can be found throughout forests in Southeast Asia, where it forages mainly for fruit. Females of this species lack pink necks and are mostly olive-green in color.

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

3 weeks ago

When this spider eats, “glitter” comes out. Meet the black-spotted Thwaitesia! During digestion, it sequesters a chemical compound called guanine which shimmers like water droplets in the Sun. Scientists think this striking display is actually a form of camouflage!

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

3 weeks ago

Have you ever seen the beautiful rainbow eucalyptus? When strips of its bark peel off, they change in color: Bark starts out in shades of green, then transitions into purple, red, & orange as time goes on. Continuous peeling helps the tree keep its trunk clear of other plants.🌈

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

4 weeks ago

Here’s a giant African land snail to brighten your day! 🐌 Found in parts of eastern Africa, this jumbo gastropod can grow ~5.9 in (15 cm) in size—making it one of the world’s largest snails! It’s a member of the Achatinidae family, which includes other similarly sized species.

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

4 weeks ago

It's Fossil Friday! In this archival image, Museum preparators work on 3 Tyrannosaur skulls. With 4-ft- (1.2-m-) long jaws & massive teeth, T. rex was one of the largest carnivores of all time. It could bite with ~7,800 lbs of force (34,500 N)—equivalent to the weight of 3 cars!

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

4 weeks ago

The Common Potoo is a master of disguise. You might think its huge yellow eyes would draw the attention of predators, but the bird has a workaround: It can close its peepers while staying aware of its surroundings, thanks to slits in its eyelids.

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

4 weeks ago

Why the blue tongue? For this reptile, it’s a form of self defense! Though it's covered in armored scales, the blue-tongued skink can also defend itself by opening its mouth, hissing, and revealing its bold blue tongue—startling foes with a flash of vibrant color.

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

a month ago

DYK? Fireflies use a system of flashes in some of the ways we use words: to attract, to say, “Here I am,” even to deceive. They emit light from a tiny organ, called a lantern, on the underside of their abdomen, where a biochemical reaction releases energy in the form of light.

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

a month ago

👂Psst. Ever heard of the long-eared hedgehog? Inhabiting parts of Central Asia, this omnivore feeds on fruit, insects, & vertebrates like lizards. It has been observed rubbing its spines against toads, suggesting it might be using their toxins for its own self-defense.

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American Museum of Natural History @AMNH

a month ago

It's Fossil Friday! What's the tallest freestanding dinosaur mount in the world? The Museum's Barosaurus & Allosaurus in the rotunda, which stands 50 ft (15 m) tall. How does it defy gravity? The Barosaurus is constructed using casts from real fossil bones in our collection.