American Museum of Natural History

American Museum of Natural History The Museum showcases its amazing treasures in the exhibit halls, and behind the scenes more than 200 scientists are at work making new discoveries.

Since its founding in 1869, the American Museum of Natural History has collected more than 33 million specimens relating to the natural world and human cultures. Millions of people from around the world visit the Museum each year.

Have you ever seen the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata)? This critter, which lives in small colonies, spends most of...
06/20/2026

Have you ever seen the star-nosed mole (Condylura cristata)? This critter, which lives in small colonies, spends most of its time underground or underwater where it uses its unique nose to hunt for insects, worms, mollusks, and small fish. It’s able to leverage its sense of smell while submerged in water by blowing bubbles, inhaling those bubbles, and then capturing the scent molecules inside. The tentacle-like appendages that surround this mole’s nose contain more than 100,000 nerve fibers, making it one of the most sensitive touch organs on Earth!

Photo: halbrindley, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

Today's Exhibit of the Day is a blast from the past! This archival image, snapped in 1938, depicts Museum preparators sc...
06/20/2026

Today's Exhibit of the Day is a blast from the past! This archival image, snapped in 1938, depicts Museum preparators sculpting a model Triceratops. This large herbivore could reach lengths of 28 ft (8.5 m). The model pictured here isn't on display today, but Triceratops fans can spot a fossil skeleton in the Hall of Ornithischian Dinosaurs.

Photo: AMNH Library / Image no. 315711

Beelieve it or not, this blue bee is the real deal! 🐝 Meet the blue carpenter bee (Xylocopa caerulea). This large bee ca...
06/19/2026

Beelieve it or not, this blue bee is the real deal! 🐝 Meet the blue carpenter bee (Xylocopa caerulea). This large bee can reach lengths of up to 1.1 in (2.8 cm); compare that to a European honey bee which typically grows up to 0.7 in (1.8 cm) long! Unlike honeybees, this critter doesn’t live in large hives, but instead spends most of its time alone. This insect can be found in parts of India, China, and Southeast Asia where it plays an important role in pollinating its habitat.

Photo: Cheongweei Gan, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

Meet the Toucan Barbet (Semnornis ramphastinus)! This thick-billed bird inhabits cloud forests throughout parts of Colom...
06/18/2026

Meet the Toucan Barbet (Semnornis ramphastinus)! This thick-billed bird inhabits cloud forests throughout parts of Colombia and Ecuador. It uses its bill to crush berries and squeeze nectar out of flowers. Both males and females have vibrant plumage; the main difference in appearance is that males have a black tuft by their necks.

Photo: David Martin, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

Meet one of the largest insects on the planet: the Atlas moth (Attacus atlas)! With a wingspan that can reach 10.6 in (2...
06/18/2026

Meet one of the largest insects on the planet: the Atlas moth (Attacus atlas)! With a wingspan that can reach 10.6 in (27 cm), this giant can be found in parts of Asia including China, India, and Indonesia. As a caterpillar, the Atlas moth spends nearly every moment eating… but as an adult, it cannot feed because it has a non-functioning mouthpart—resulting in a lifespan of only up to two weeks. Did you know? You can spot this species up close in the Davis Family Butterfly Vivarium in the Museum's Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation!

Photo: Michelle Bartsch, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, flickr

You’ve heard of woolly mammoths, but what about woolly tapirs? 🤔 Also known as the mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque), t...
06/17/2026

You’ve heard of woolly mammoths, but what about woolly tapirs? 🤔 Also known as the mountain tapir (Tapirus pinchaque), this species can be found in the cloud forests of South America’s Andes Mountains. Adults can weigh up to 400 lbs (182 kg), and their thick fur coats help insulate them from the cold temperatures of their habitat. Unfortunately, this endangered species is threatened by human activity including hunting and deforestation.

Photo: Edwin Múnera Chavarría, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

Looking for fashion inspiration? Check out the red-shanked douc (Pygathrix nemaeus). The markings on this primate’s legs...
06/17/2026

Looking for fashion inspiration? Check out the red-shanked douc (Pygathrix nemaeus). The markings on this primate’s legs resemble bright red trousers. This colorful monkey can be spotted in the forests of Cambodia and Vietnam. It’s a picky eater that closely inspects food, such as fruit and leaves, before consumption. What does it look for in a meal? Unripe fruit is preferred, along with younger leaves, which are easier to digest than older ones.

Photo: David Bishop, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

The work week can be hard to handle, so here’s a handful of newts to brighten your day. Eastern newts (Notophthalmus vir...
06/16/2026

The work week can be hard to handle, so here’s a handful of newts to brighten your day. Eastern newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) are amphibians that can be found across much of eastern North America. Growing up to 5 in (12.7 cm) long, they dine on a variety of invertebrates including snails and insects. During breeding season, females lay between 200 and 400 eggs—many of which are eaten by predators. But, offspring that do survive can live for up to 15 years!

Photo: mtjones, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

Have you ever heard of a snake that can "fly?" Like many snakes in the Chrysopelea genus, the paradise flying snake (Chr...
06/15/2026

Have you ever heard of a snake that can "fly?" Like many snakes in the Chrysopelea genus, the paradise flying snake (Chrysopelea paradisi) can glide through the air by propelling itself from tree branches, giving it the appearance of flight. To glide, it flattens its body by splaying its ribs, creating a shape similar to a frisbee. It’s a more energy-efficient way to get around, and it helps this snake avoid predators, too.

Photo: nbasargin, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist

Here’s one “birb” you don’t want to mess with: the Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor)! When on the hunt, this carnivor...
06/15/2026

Here’s one “birb” you don’t want to mess with: the Great Grey Shrike (Lanius excubitor)! When on the hunt, this carnivorous bird scans the area from its perch seeking out anything from a small mammal to a bird. After locking in on a target, which can be nearly as large as the bird itself, it swoops down and hits its meal with its hooked bill. This species has even been observed impaling prey on sharp objects—thorns or barbed wire—and sometimes “storing” it there for later consumption. It has a wide range which spans parts of Europe, Asia, and northern Africa.

Photo: Yane Casouf, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

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