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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.

 New York City
amnh.org/
Joined October 2008
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Photo by American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH)Photo by American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH)Photo by American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH)Photo by American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH)Photo by American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH)Photo by American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH)Photo by American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH)Photo by American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH)Photo by American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH)Photo by American Museum of Natural History (@AMNH)
This Fossil Friday, meet the Museum’s mummified hadrosaur—one of the most complete pieces of Mesozoic dinosaur remains ever found! This fossil provides a rare glimpse at dino skin. Like the skin of modern birds, this duck-bill's skin was marked by bumps called tubercles.
A photo of the Museum’s mummified hadrosaur. The animal is laying on its side, with its limbs in the air. It is brownish in color.

ALT A photo of the Museum’s mummified hadrosaur. The animal is laying on its side, with its limbs in the air. It is brownish in color.

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The common vampire bat often crawls undetected onto the bodies of sleeping animals (typically birds or livestock) to bite them & consume their blood. But unlike their horror film namesakes, this vampire rarely kills & its prey seldom realize they’ve been bitten.
Head-on shot of a group of vampire bats hanging upside down from the ceiling of a cave. They have brownish-black fur on their backsides, lighter gray fur on their bellies, triangular-shaped ears with bare pink skin, a flat pink nose, and dark gray wings with bare skin.

ALT Head-on shot of a group of vampire bats hanging upside down from the ceiling of a cave. They have brownish-black fur on their backsides, lighter gray fur on their bellies, triangular-shaped ears with bare pink skin, a flat pink nose, and dark gray wings with bare skin.

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👻 Boo! Meet the ghost mantis. Its leaf-like appearance helps it disappear among foliage, concealing it from predators and prey. When grasshoppers, moths, & other prey wander too close, it uses its powerful forelimbs to snatch them up. This insect has a wide range across Africa.
A photo of a ghost mantis perched on a green leaf. The mantis is brownish in color with the texture and patterning of a dried leaf. It has spindly legs and a large cone-shaped head.

ALT A photo of a ghost mantis perched on a green leaf. The mantis is brownish in color with the texture and patterning of a dried leaf. It has spindly legs and a large cone-shaped head.

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The satanic leaf-tailed gecko is a master of disguise that specializes in mimicking dry leaves. Its tail even looks like it’s rotting or has been chewed. If spotted by a foe, this Madagascar resident will drop the camouflage act & open its bright red mouth for a shocking display.
A photo of a satanic leaf tailed gecko sitting on a branch. The reptile is dark in color with yellowish splotches. Its eyes, which are fixed directly at the viewer, are red.

ALT A photo of a satanic leaf tailed gecko sitting on a branch. The reptile is dark in color with yellowish splotches. Its eyes, which are fixed directly at the viewer, are red.

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Awoo! Meet the wolf spider. With 2,300+ known species, their scientific name (Lycosidae) comes from the Greek word for wolf & references the way some of these spiders chase down their prey. The largest wolf spiders have been known to hunt critters many times their own size.
A close up photo of a wolf spider. The animal is covered in brownish fuzz. It is holding a wasp in its jaws.

ALT A close up photo of a wolf spider. The animal is covered in brownish fuzz. It is holding a wasp in its jaws.

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If Tim Burton had a favorite cephalopod, it might be this one. Meet the striped pyjama squid! One of the few known poisonous cephalopods, this critter can change color & secrete slime to intimidate foes. It spends its days nestled beneath the sand, hunting for prey by night.
A photo of a striped pyjama squid. Its skin has a pattern of white and maroon stripes.

ALT A photo of a striped pyjama squid. Its skin has a pattern of white and maroon stripes.

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Ever seen a white Raven? No, this isn’t a new species or a ghost: This Raven’s striking pale plumage is the result of the genetic mutations leucism or albinism. White Ravens are rare. An estimated 1 in 30,000 individuals is born without this species’ signature black plumage.
A photo of a white Common Raven perched on a branch. The animal is covered in white plumage, has a downward-curved white beak, and blue eyes.

ALT A photo of a white Common Raven perched on a branch. The animal is covered in white plumage, has a downward-curved white beak, and blue eyes.

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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 (@MLS) profile picture
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
Image from Major League Soccer (@MLS)
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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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