Have you ever heard of the rufous bettong (Aepyprymnus rufescens)? Also known as the “rat-kangaroo,” this small marsupial typically weighs around 6.2 lbs (2.8 kg)—about the size of a rabbit! This nocturnal critter can hop like a kangaroo and might cover up to 2.8 mi (4.5 km) in a night while searching for food such as herbs and fungi. When threatened, it stamps its hind feet in displeasure. It can be found in parts of Australia including New South Wales and Queensland.
Photo: duke_n, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist
Alt: A photo of three rufous bettongs. It is night, and they are surrounded by grass. They are standing on their hind legs. They have small arms, held closely to their chests, triangular ears, and grayish fur.
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Have you ever seen this breathtaking tree? The Grandidier’s baobab (Adansonia grandidieri), also known as the renala, may live to be 300 years old or older—but scientists are unable to confirm their exact age because baobabs don’t produce annual growth rings. This species of baobab is found only in Madagascar’s dry deciduous forests. It can grow as much as 98 ft (30 m) tall, and its trunk can have a diameter of up to 9.8 ft (3 m). Unfortunately, Grandidier’s baobabs are endangered due in part to habitat degradation, agricultural expansion, and exploitation for its fruit and bark.
Photo: heikkih, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist
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With a wingspan of up to 2 in (5 cm), the rosy maple moth (Dryocampa rubicunda) can be found throughout North America; its range spans much of the United States' East Coast and parts of southern Canada. Nocturnal and solitary, its vibrant color provides camouflage among the fruits of red maple trees. This species can live for up to nine months in the wild.
Photo: Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarre, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Alt: A photo of a rosy maple moth on a human fingertip. It is yellow and pink in color with a fuzzy texture. Its wings are held above its body.
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Throwback Thursday! Do you remember the 1970s? 💃🕺 Saturday Night Fever was playing at the theaters and disco was pumping at Studio 54. What was happening at the Museum? We were opening a groovy Gems and Minerals Hall, complete with carpet, a sunken pit, and cave-like lighting. This archival photo, snapped in 1976, depicts visitors in the hall as it appeared shortly after opening. Its design was meant to simulate the Earth from which the exhibited specimens were extracted.
During the years since then, the fields of mineralogy and geology have advanced significantly. The Museum’s Mignone Halls of Gems and Minerals—which now features more than 5,000 specimens—were redesigned to reflect these changes. Today, this space tells the fascinating story of how the vast diversity of minerals arose on our planet, how scientists classify and study them, and how we use them for personal adornment, tools, and technology.
Photo: Image no. ptc-2027 / © AMNH Library
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This cricket isn’t named Jiminy. Meet the armored bush cricket (Acanthoplus discoidalis). Growing up to 1.9 in (5 cm) long, it uses its powerful jaws to feed on a diet that consists of leaves, other crickets, and even nestling birds. It can be found in parts of Africa, including Botswana, Namibia, and Zimbabwe. When threatened, this cricket will try to ward off foes with a bite or with a shrill sound that it makes by rubbing its legs together. If neither of these tactics work, it may squirt a distasteful liquid called hemolymph at its adversary.
Photo: Nyiko Gift Mutileni, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist
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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Where does the Common Hoopoe (Upupa epops) get its name? It’s a reference to the sound it makes: If ever near one of these birds, you may hear its low “hoop” call. Its eye-catching crest isn’t always raised; it only opens it up when excited or alarmed. This bird has a vast range spanning Asia, Europe, and Africa.
Photo: Andy Morffew, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
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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. Scientists estimate that its signature teeth, which could reach lengths of 7 in (18 cm), grew at the rapid speed of 0.24 in (0.6 cm) per month—double the growth rate of an African lion’s teeth. To unsheath these knife-like canines, Smilodon could open its jaws twice as wide as today’s big cats. You can spot this fearsome predator in the Museum’s Hall of Primitive Mammals.
Photo: D. Finnin / © AMNH
Alt: 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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Take a bite out of Fossil Friday! Check out these massive jaws and colossal teeth. They belong to Otodus megalodon. Dwarfing all living species of shark, megalodon measured roughly 50 ft (15 m) long. It had a bite force of 41,000 pounds—10 times the biting power of the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), which can chomp down with a force of 4,000 pounds!
Fun fact: The first attempt to reconstruct the jaw of this colossal predator took place right here at the Museum. This photo, snapped all the way back in 1909, showcases an early reconstruction of megalodon’s massive jaws with a human for scale. This exhibit was a popular attraction for over 80 years, until it was replaced by a newer, more accurate model.
Photo: Image no. 32521 / © AMNH Library
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Despite its serpentine appearance, the red worm lizard (Amphisbaena alba) is not a snake! Found in parts of South America, this burrowing reptile spends most of its time underground. With small eyes and covered-over ears, it hunts instead by sensing vibrations and through chemical receptors in its forked tongue. It feeds on leaf-cutter ants, beetles, and even small vertebrates, such as mice. When threatened, it flashes its powerful jaws and exposes its tail, which resembles its head, to intimidate foes or misdirect their attacks.
Photo: Rodolpho Kaian Franco da Luz, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist
Alt: A photo of a red worm lizard on the ground. The animal is snake-like in appearance and pale yellowish in color. Its head and open mouth are light pink.
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Did you know? 👂The magnificent ears of a black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) can measure up to 5.1 in (13 cm) long—about 20 percent of the animal’s entire body length. If this ratio were applied to humans, the average person would have ears larger than 13 in (33 cm) tall! This critter uses its ears to release heat, helping it cool down in its arid habitat. The black-tailed jackrabbit feeds on grasses, cacti, and other greenery, obtaining most of its moisture from plant material. It can be found in parts of the southwestern United States and Mexico.
Photo: Scott Rheam, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, PD, Wikimedia Commons
Alt: A close up photo of a black-tailed jackrabbit. Its ears are massive, significantly longer than the rabbit's head and shoulders. It is surrounded by yellowish grasses.
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The American Museum of Natural History is one of the world's preeminent scientific and cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1869, the Museum has advanced its global mission to discover, interpret and disseminate information about human cultures, the natural world and the universe through a wide-ranging program of scientific research, education and exhibition. The Museum is renowned for its exhibitions and scientific collections, which serve as a field guide to the entire planet and present a panorama of the world's cultures.