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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 12h

The Resplendent Quetzal inhabits the cloud forests of Central America. Males showcase brilliant iridescent green plumage that contrasts with a vibrant shock of red on their bellies, and their tail feathers can grow up to 3 ft (0.9 m) long! Photo: Martin Walsh, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, iNaturalist

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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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 29/09/2026

Congratulations to this year’s graduates of the Richard Gilder Graduate School! This week, the Museum held its 2026 commencement under the iconic Blue Whale, celebrating six doctoral graduates and 16 Master of Arts in Teaching Earth Science Residency Program graduates. Photo: Alvaro Keding/© AMNH

Wide shot of the Museum’s Hall of Ocean Life. A large, life-sized model of a blue whale is suspended from the ceiling and hovers above a graduation ceremony. There are rows of people sitting beneath the whale; they are facing a stage where someone is giving a speech.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 29/09/2026

Welcome back to Trilobite Tuesday! Behold this carefully prepared Lonchodomas rostratus. The hard bioclastic limestone that comprises Eastern Europe's Viivikonna Formation often adheres to a trilobite’s slender spines, making its clean removal a challenge to even the most skilled preparators.

A photo of a fossilized trilobite on a black background. The trilobite is small with long, delicate protrusions.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 28/09/2026

Have you ever spotted a rock squirrel (Otospermophilus variegatus)? Found throughout much of the southwestern United States and Mexico, this rodent can weigh up to 1.8 lbs (0.8 kg). While it does forage in the trees, this species prefers to make its dens in rocky terrain like cliffs and canyons.

A photo of a rock squirrel. The squirrel is plump in shape and has tan fur.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 25/09/2026

It’s a stupendous Fossil Friday! Let’s celebrate with Stupendemys geographicus, the “stupendous turtle.” This reptile lived during the Late Miocene some 5 million years ago, and it’s one of the largest turtles to have ever existed. Photo: D. Finnin/© AMNH

A photo of a fossilized Stupendemys hanging from the Museum ceiling. The turtle is massive with a strong blunt head.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 22/09/2026

Paleoclimatologist and Museum Curator Nathalie Goodkin explains that the 2026 El Niño is on track to be the strongest on record and how looking to the past can help us understand current climate and weather patterns.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 22/09/2026

🍁It’s the first day of fall, and few things make it feel more like autumn than the foliage of the red maple tree (Acer rubrum). But did you know? The deciduous tree sports something red all year round. (1/2) Photo: Ashley M Bradford, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

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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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 21/09/2026

What’s a spiny lumpsucker? No, it’s not a nickname for your ex: The spiny lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus orbis) is a fish that has a powerful pelvic fin helps it stick to solid surfaces, acting like a suction cup to hold it in place! Photo: ajustinfocus, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, iNaturalist

A photo of a spiny lumpsucker perched on a rock on the ocean floor. The fish is small, with spiny fins. It has wide eyes and prominent lips.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 18/09/2026

Ever heard of the five-toed worm lizard (Bipes biporus)? This critter spends most of its time underground: Each of its forelimbs is equipped with five clawed digits that are used for digging. It can grow up to 8.3 in (21.1 cm) long. Photo: franfauna, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

A photo of a five-toed worm lizard on a human hand. The animal somewhat resembles a worm, with pink skin, but has visible facial features and tiny arms.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 17/09/2026

Did you know? The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is a monotreme, meaning it’s one of the few mammals that lays eggs instead of bearing live young. This spiky critter can be found in parts of Australia, New Guinea, and Tasmania. Photo: george_vaughan, CC0 1.0, iNaturalist

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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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 14/09/2026

Meet Bock’s pygmy octopus! Growing up to 0.98 in (2.5 cm) long, excluding tentacles, this tiny species can be found near coral reefs in parts of the Central Pacific. It is primarily active at night, using camouflage to avoid predators. Photo: smithsonian_marinegeo, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, iNaturalist

A photo of Bock’s pygmy octopus. It is surrounded by a black background. Its body is orangey in color, its pale tentacles are curled around it.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 14/09/2026

Cookie dough? Nope, just the chocolate chip sea cucumber. Found throughout warm, shallow waters in the Atlantic, this species grows about 1 ft (30.5 cm) long. Fun fact: There are more than 1,000 species of sea cucumbers! Photo: Matteo Cassella, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

A photo of a chocolate chip sea cucumber. The organism is long and loaf-like and covered in spots.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 12/09/2026

This piece of granite comes from the Yilgarn Craton in Western Australia. The unusual ball-shaped, radial clusters of crystals that you can see on this rock are orbicules. The diversity in the orbicules’ mineral composition & structure indicate that the conditions in the magma changed as they grew.

A photo of a granite slab on display in the Museum. It is irregularly shaped and gray in color. It is dotted with orbicules, which are a darker shade.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 10/09/2026

🌳 When I Am Among the Trees on view starting 9/18 — See a special installation featuring live native trees, information about New York City’s urban forests, and profiles of those taking action to protect and grow the city’s canopy. Image: Alvaro Keding/© AMNH (🧵4/6)

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 09/09/2026

Grab a drink, savor Caribbean bites, dance in the Hall of the Universe, and explore climate action under the Blue Whale! Join us for Carnival at the Museum: A Climate Fete on Wednesday, 9/16. This program is for ages 21+ and is part of the Milstein Discovery Series. Get tickets: amnh.link/3UID3GL

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 05/09/2026

Meet the long-nosed potoroo (Potorous tridactylus)! It inhabits parts of Australia’s coastal regions and Tasmania. This critter puts its long nose to work on the forest floor to track down snacks like seeds, fruit, invertebrates, and fungi. Photo: Brett Vercoe, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

A photo of a long-nosed potoroo. The animal somewhat resembles a kangaroo but is much smaller, and has a more rodent-like face. It is covered in brown hair.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 04/09/2026

Smile like Smilodon, because it’s Fossil Friday! This saber-tooth cat roamed the Americas during the Pleistocene, and went extinct some 10,000 years ago. Smilodon had knife-like canines which could reach lengths of 7 in (18 cm)! Photo: D. Finnin/© AMNH

Close-up portrait shot of the side of a Smilodon's fossil skeleton. Its skull is facing the right of the frame. Two long canine teeth are protruding from each side of its mouth.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 03/09/2026

Meet the pygmy possum, the smallest possum in the world! This marsupial typically weighs only 0.4 oz (10 g). It’s an omnivore with a taste for the nectar & pollen of flowering plants. It inhabits parts of southeastern Australia & Tasmania. Photo: Darcy Whittaker, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

A photo of a little pygmy gray possum on the forest floor. The animal resembles a mouse. It is tan in color, with large pink ears and black eyes.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 02/09/2026

Martha's death at age 29 after a lifetime in captivity marked the disappearance of her once-abundant species. Museum visitors can spot this bird in the Hall of New York City Birds on Floor 3. One of the Museum’s earliest displays, it showcases a flock of Passenger Pigeons foraging for acorns.

A photo of the Passenger Pigeon Diorama in the Museum's Hall of New York City Birds. A flock of Passenger Pigeons are foraging for acorns in a pile of twigs and leaf litter.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 02/09/2026

Once the most common bird in the United States, the Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius) was driven to extinction by humans as a result of overhunting and habitat destruction. In September 1914, Martha, the last-known living Passenger Pigeon, died at the Cincinnati Zoo.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 31/08/2026

🎾Visiting New York City for the U.S. Open? You can see pieces of tennis history at the Museum! Discover the stories behind the objects that define athletic greatness in For the Win: Objects of Sports Excellence. This exhibition is included with any admission. Get tickets: amnh.link/4zS9wKQ

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 30/08/2026

When the Singing Stone was first displayed at the Museum, the massive block of vibrant blue azurite and green malachite made high-pitched sounds when the humidity changed with the weather and seasons. These noises were produced as the porous stone absorbed and released moisture from the air.

Wide shot of the Singing Stone on display in the Museum's Hall of Gems and Minerals. It is a large gray rectangular cube-like stone with swirls of shades of blue and green on its exterior.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 28/08/2026

Party like a ground sloth, because it’s Fossil Friday! This image, snapped circa 1957 depicts giant sloths on display in the Museum. During the Pleistocene, a wide array of ground sloths lumbered across North and South America. Most of these mammals died out at the end of the Pleistocene.

A black and white archival photo of the fossilized remains of ground sloths on display in the Museum. The center individual is standing on its hind legs with its arms raised, looking toward the viewer.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 27/08/2026

Axelrod Research Curator Emeritus Melanie Stiassny and Allison Bronson, an alumna of the Museum’s Richard Gilder Graduate School, detailed a unique nasal structure that may allow these catfish to actively draw water and scent molecules through their noses. Image: Melanie Stiassny/© AMNH

Closeup dorsal view of a catfish nose with text that reads "open olfactory chamber" and "olfactory rosette" with arrows pointing to those locations on the catfish nose.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 25/08/2026

It's Trilobite Tuesday! By the end of the Paleozoic Era, trilobites had become fast-fading relics of Earth's primordial past. Specimens like this Ditomopyge, from the Pennsylvanian Period, represent the last members of the trilobite dynasty. They typically measured about 1 in (2.5 cm) long or less.

A photo of a fossilized trilobite. It is oblong in shape with a multi-segmented body.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 24/08/2026

Twenty years ago today, Pluto was demoted to a dwarf planet. Discovered in 1930, it was considered to be the ninth planet in our solar system until 2006, when the International Astronomical Union (IAU) voted to reclassify it. Image: NASA, PD, Wikimedia Commons

A composite image of the planet Pluto. It is primarily pale gray with a rust-colored splatter. It has a textured surface.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 21/08/2026

This archival image, snapped sometime before 1960, depicts duck-billed dinosaurs on display at the Museum! Also known as hadrosaurs, these massive herbivores were the dominant plant-eaters during the Late Cretaceous ~85 million years ago.

A photo of a man standing beside the fossilized skeletons of two gigantic hadrosaurs. One is standing on all fours while the other is posed upright on its hind legs.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 20/08/2026

Meet the pudú. This dainty deer typically weighs ~30 lbs (13.5 kg)—making it smaller than many domestic dog breeds. This herbivore is mostly solitary. It builds small tunnels or burrows in the underbrush to hide from predators like pumas. Photo: Bryan Caro San Martin, CC BY-NC 4.0 iNaturalist

A photo of a pudu standing amidst a grassy landscape. The background behind it is blurred. The pudu is brownish in color. It is gazing off into the distance.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 18/08/2026

Meet the Warren mastodon: the first complete American mastodon (Mammut americanum) skeleton found in the U.S.! This fossilized proboscidean was discovered in a bog in Newburgh, New York in 1845. Today, you can find this mastodon—tusks and all—in the Museum’s Hall of Advanced Mammals. Photo: © AMNH

A photo of the fossilized skeleton of the Warren mastodon. It is a large, quadrupedal animal with two long, curved tusks. Its bones are brownish in color.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 17/08/2026

What would you see if you had an hour at the Museum? Everything you’ve seen is included with General Admission. If you have more time to spend, check out our ticketed exhibitions, including Impact: The End of the Age of Dinosaurs and Encounters in the Milky Way! Plan your visit: amnh.link/4bnMbG3

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 16/08/2026

Today’s Exhibit of the Day is a blast from the past! Snapped in 1938, this archival image depicts Museum preparators sculpting a model Styracosaurus. This large ceratopsian dinosaur was related to Triceratops. Photo: Image no. 315713/© AMNH Library

A photo of a Museum preparator standing bedside a model Styracosaurus. The animal has a large sharp beak, a long nasal horn, and a spiked frill.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 15/08/2026

Join Jin Meng, a paleontologist at the Museum, to explore what life was like in the immediate aftermath of the catastrophic asteroid impact—& how specialized teeth & ears, helped our very ancient relatives survive. See how Meng & colleagues are using technologies like CT scanning to unlock new info.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 14/08/2026

Today’s insect is a master of disguise. 🥸 Meet the beautiful orchid mantis (Hymenopus coronatus). With back legs that change color and resemble petals, this insect blends in perfectly among flowers. But don’t be fooled by its pretty, pink appearance! Photo: wisan224, iStock

A photo of an orchid mantis perched on a plant. The insect is primarily pink, with pale eyes and a pale underbelly. It resembles a flower petal.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 12/08/2026

Meet one of the world’s smallest reptiles: the Nosy Hara leaf chameleon. Scientifically described in 2012, adults grow to be about 1 in (2.5 cm) long & juveniles can fit on the head of a match. Photo: Frank Glaw, Jörn Köhler, Ted M. Townsend, Miguel Vences. PLoS ONE, CC BY 2.5, Wikimedia Commons

A photo of a Nosy Hara leaf chameleon on the head of a match. The reptile is brownish in color and diminutive in size.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 11/08/2026

Swing by our tent for fun activities, giveaways, and a chance to take a photo with a replica of the Museum’s T. rex fossil. Come learn about all the Museum has to offer!

Photo of a group of families engaging with Museum volunteers at an activity station at Summer Streets.

Photo of a kid engaging with Museum volunteers at an activity station at Summer Streets. The volunteers are showing off Museum specimens, including a fossil of a pterosaur.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 11/08/2026

Hey, New York! This month, the Museum is participating in Manhattan’s Summer Streets. Find us this Saturday, August 15, at 109th St and Park Avenue beginning at 8 am. We hope to see you there! Photos: Alvaro Keding/© AMNH

Photo of a group of children interacting with Museum volunteers at an activity station at Summer Streets. A replica T. rex fossil skull is on the street in the background.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 10/08/2026

Meet Gottlebe's narrow-mouthed frog, found in parts of south-central Madagascar! Claw-like fingers make this frog an adept climber. Unfortunately, this species is threatened by human activity, including the exotic pet trade. Photo: © Bobby Bok, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

A photo of Gottlebe’s narrow-mouthed frog. It is rotund and has a cream colored body dappled with black markings, a splash of crimson on its head, and vibrant green on its back.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 07/08/2026

This Fossil Friday, scoot into the weekend with Scutosaurus karpinskii: the “shield lizard.” This large herbivore lived during the Late Permian some 253 million yrs ago. Their fossils have been found in Africa, Europe, & Asia. Spot this one in the Museum’s Hall of Vertebrate Origins! Photo: © AMNH

A photo of the fossilized skeleton of Scutosaurus on display at the Museum. The animal is quadrupedal with a barrel torso and stout strong legs.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 06/08/2026

Meet the giant otter! Of the 14 living otter species known to science, this one's the biggest. Growing up to 5.6 ft (1.7 m) long, it can reach weights of 70 lbs (32 kg)! It inhabits parts of South America's Orinoco, Amazon, & La Plata river systems. 📸: Charlesjsharp, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

A photo of a giant otter mostly submerged underwater. It has a broad head, brown fur and pale markings on its neck.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 04/08/2026

It's Trilobite Tuesday! Trilobites, while commonly seen fossilized as single individuals, were highly social animals—gathering together to mate, molt, or feed. On occasion, fossils are unearthed featuring multiple trilobites on a single slab, like these ornate 1-in- (2.5-cm-) long Devonian lichids.

A photo of multiple trilobites on a single slab of stone. Some are flipped onto their backsides. They are oblong in shape and have multi-segmented bodies.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 03/08/2026

Meet the greater naked bat. Glands on this mammal's neck produce unpleasant-smelling secretions—the scent of which has been compared to “stale socks drenched in engine oil.” It can be found in colonies of ~20,000 individuals. Photo: Vatcharavee Sriprasertsil, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

A photo of a greater naked bat. The animal is dark in color, nearly black, and mostly hairless. It has a blunt face.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 02/08/2026

Today’s Exhibit of the Day? The Museum’s giant sequoia. When this tree was felled by a lumber company in 1891 (which is now illegal), it was 331 ft (100.1 m) tall. In 1912, this sequoia slice was cut to fit through the Museum. Visitors today can still spot the seams where it was put back together.

A black and white archival photo of people guiding a piece of the Museum’s massive sequoia slice through a doorway at the Museum.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 31/07/2026

It's Fossil Friday! Meet Eryops megacephalus. This critter, which lived some 280 million years ago during the Early Permian, was among the most terrestrial of the early tetrapods. Spot it in the Hall of Vertebrate Origins! Plan your visit: amnh.link/4bnMbG3 Photo: © AMNH

A photo of the fossilized skeleton of Eryops megacephalus. It is dark brown in color. The animal is low-slung with a large head.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 30/07/2026

Meet the blunt-headed burrowing frog! Also known as the balloon frog, it spends much of its time underground. During the breeding season, it comes to the surface and takes advantage of seasonal rain pools to release up to 300 eggs. Photo: Noah Kirkland, CC BY 4.0, iNaturalist

A photo of a blunt-headed burrowing frog facing the viewer. The frog is brownish in color with marbled markings on its chest and arms. It has a seemingly angry expression.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 29/07/2026

This #InternationalTigerDay, we’re remembering the Caspian tiger. This large tiger subspecies weighed ~530 lbs (240 kg). It was driven to extinction by the same factors threatening surviving tigers—human activity, including deforestation and overhunting. Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 28/07/2026

It's time for Trilobite Tuesday. These 2-in- (5.1-cm-) long specimens—contained in a block of limestone from the Ordovician outcrops of Tennessee—are considered Gabriceraurus trilobites. Long viewed as an unidentified species of Ceraurus, such classifications can change based on new research.

A photo of two fossilized trilobites. They are multi-segmented and tan in color.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 27/07/2026

🌈 Check out the rainbow leaf beetle! Though widely distributed across Europe, this insect is seldom seen. Growing ~0.5 in (1.3 cm) in size, it feeds on plants including ivy, roses, & thyme. This beetle inhabits montane forests at elevations of ~1970 ft (600 m). Photo: Slimguy, Wikimedia Commons

A photo of a rainbow leaf beetle surrounded by vegetation. The beetle is round in shape, dark in color, and has distinctly rainbow-colored streaks along its back.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 26/07/2026

This parasitic plant smells like a rotting corpse: jackal food. Unlike many plants, which use photosynthesis, this species attaches itself to host plants & siphons off their nutrients. Its flavor & texture have been compared to that of a potato. Photo: Alex Lansdowne, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

A photo of a jackal’s food fruit. It is growing out of the ground. It is dark brown in color and open at the center, which is ringed in a bright orange color.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 23/07/2026

Happy birthday to Vera Rubin, born on this day in 1928! An acclaimed scientist, Rubin's observations established the presence of dark matter in galaxies. She was elected to the National Academy of Sciences & awarded the National Medal of Science. Photo: NOIRLab, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

A black and white photo of Vera Rubin measuring spectra at the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution in Washington, D.C. She is wearing a floral print dress and glasses.

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American Museum of Natural History @amnh.org · 23/07/2026

Behold the common snapping turtle! This robust reptile can weigh more than 70 lbs (31.8 kg). Its diet includes birds, small mammals, fish, and aquatic vegetation. And? It can survive for up to 30 years in the wild! Photo: Jody Benedict, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

A closeup photo of a common snapping turtle. The turtle’s armored leg is visible, as is its face. It has small eyes, hooked jaws, and leathery skin at its neck. Its leg has long claws.

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