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Have you ever seen the blue tree monitor (Varanus macraei)? Growing up to 3.6 ft (1.1 m) long, it can be found only on the Indonesian island of Batanta. This arboreal reptile spends most of its life in the trees, using its prehensile tail—which is nearly twice the length of its body—to assist with climbing. Fun fact: This species wasn’t scientifically described until 2001.

Photo: Josh More, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, flickr

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Have you ever seen a googly-eyed glass squid (Teuthowenia pellucida)? There are around 60 species of glass squid in the Cranchiidae family that inhabit the ocean’s depths. Most glass squids’ bodies are see-through, which helps them stay hidden from predators. One giveaway? Their eyes, which are opaque. To avoid being detected, the squid have another trick: A light-producing organ below their eyes emits flashes, mimicking sunlight from above to camouflage them from predators lurking below. 

Photo: Gonzalo Giribet, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

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Ever heard of the plains viscacha (Lagostomus maximus)? Growing up to 33.9 in (86 cm) from head to tail, it inhabits grasslands and scrub in parts of South America such as Paraguay and Argentina. This highly social rodent lives in groups of up to 50 individuals, digging communal burrows known as vizcacheras. These underground homes can stretch up to 6,458.4 sq ft (600 sq m) and provide a safe haven for the viscachas to hide from predators and raise their young. 

Photo: Marcia Morris, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

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Exhibit of the Day: the Alaska Brown Bear Diorama from the Hall of North American Mammals! This archival image, snapped in 1941, depicts Belmore Browne at work on the iconic diorama. For inspiration, Museum artists studied the anatomy and posture of bears. Did you know that Alaska brown bears are among the largest bears on Earth? A steady diet of protein-rich salmon help those along the Gulf of Alaska reach impressive sizes.

Image no.318233 / © AMNH Library

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No, that’s not AI… it’s the dusty glass frog (Teratohyla pulverata)! Growing up to 1.1 in (2.9 cm) long, this tiny amphibian has white spots on its back, translucent skin on its underside, and pale green bones. It’s native to parts of Central and South America, where it lives in wetland or forest habitats. Females tend to lay their eggs on a leaf above a stream, so that its young drop right into the water upon hatching.

Photo: Geoff Gallice, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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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

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This Trilobite Tuesday, let’s venture to the Czech Republic’s Jince Formation! Made famous by the 19th-century work of French naturalist Joachim Barrande, this site has produced one of the most complete and detailed trilobite assemblages found anywhere on Earth. More than 50 different species have been identified from the Jince Formation, including the magnificently preserved 6.3-in- (16-cm-) Paradoxides gracilis pictured here.

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Does this summer heat make you feel like a greater naked bat (Cheiromeles torquatus)? Glands in its neck produce unpleasant-smelling, oily secretions—the scent of which has been compared to “stale socks drenched in engine oil.” Also known as the naked bulldog bat, this mostly hairless mammal can be found in parts of Southeast Asia, including Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and the Philippines. It typically lives in large groups, and colonies of up to 20,000 individuals have been observed.

Photo: Vatcharavee Sriprasertsil, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist 

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How do you fit a 16-ft- (4.9-m-) tree slice through a 12-ft- (3.7-m-) doorway? In pieces. This giant sequoia specimen was cut to fit through the Museum’s doorways in 1912—visitors today can still spot the seams where it was put back together. When this tree was felled by a lumber company in 1891 (which is now illegal), it was 331 ft (100.1 m) tall—taller than the Statue of Liberty. It was also about 1,400 years old. Imagine how much the world changed during this mighty tree’s lifetime. 

Photo: AMNH Library / Image no. 33700

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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. How do we know this? It has well-developed limbs, and evidence of trackways made by it or a close relative suggests that this species walked on dry land. This species has large, tusklike teeth on the palate, with smaller teeth around the edge of the mouth, indicating it was a predator.

See this prehistoric critter and more at the Museum! Plan your visit.

Photo: © AMNH

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What’s the fastest shark in the sea? The shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus)! This agile predator is one of the world’s fastest swimmers, able to reach a top speed of over 40 mph (64.3 kmh). For perspective, the current 100 m freestyle world record holder swam at an overall speed of 2.9 mph (4.7 km/h). A model of this shark can be found in the Museum's Hall of Biodiversity. In honor of Shark Week, learn more about these iconic predators on OLogy, the Museum’s science website for kids, featuring videos, quizzes, games, and more.

Photo; Alison Kock, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

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🌈Feast your eyes on the dazzling colors of the rainbow leaf beetle (Chrysolina cerealis)! Though this insect is widely distributed across Europe, it’s seldom seen. Growing up to 0.5 in (1.3 cm) in size, this critter feeds on plants including ivy, roses, and thyme. It prefers to inhabit montane forests at elevations of up to 1,970 ft (600 m). 

Photo: martin_galli, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

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Look closely and you might be able to see the outline of the tasseled wobbegong (Eucrossorhinus dasypogon). This shark is a master of disguise and an expert ambush predator. It leverages its camouflage to lure in unsuspecting prey. It’s mainly nocturnal and hunts at night. When prey, like crabs or squid, come near, it strikes! The shark’s body shape also allows it to fit into tight spaces, which make sneaky hunting spots.

In honor of Shark Week, learn more about these iconic predators on OLogy, the Museum’s science website for kids, featuring videos, quizzes, games, and more!

Photo: divercraig, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist

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Welcome back to Trilobite Tuesday! Wisconsin’s Platteville Formation is a fossil-rich outcrop that runs through a number of midwestern states. Partial specimens of the Ordovician trilobite Bumastoides are relatively common finds at this locale, while fully articulated, inflated examples—like the specimen pictured here—are exceedingly rare. These “golden” corynexochid trilobites typically measure up to 2 in (5 cm) in length.

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🌠Ever since the Big Bang, everything in the universe has been in constant motion—including our Sun and the solar system with it. What does this mean for the constellations we see in the night sky? 🌌Museum Curator Jackie Faherty discusses how over millions of years, the motion of the stars around us, and even our position in the Milky Way galaxy, will change the constellations we know and love, like Taurus. In our latest YouTube video, see clips from the Hayden Planetarium’s new Space Show, Encounters in the Milky Way, as well as data visualizations from OpenSpace.

🚀Learn more about Encounters in the Milky Way.

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🤔Cheetahs don’t have stripes… or do they?

👑Meet the “king cheetah” (Acinonyx jubatus)—note the pattern on its back. When scientists first observed this animal in 1926, it was thought to be a new species. Today, we know that “king cheetahs” are the same species as spotted cheetahs, and their unusual patterning is actually the result of a genetic mutation. These individuals are rare: Only a handful of striped cheetahs have ever been seen in the wild.

Photo: Steve Jurvetson, CC BY 2.0, flickr

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🦈Shark Week is here, so smile like the Port Jackson shark (Heterodontus portusjacksoni)! Notice its unusual chompers? Many sharks have triangular, blade-like teeth. But this critter’s jaws have small pointed teeth in the front and broad flat ones in the back—perfect for grasping, grinding, and crushing the shells of prey like mollusks and crustaceans. Growing up to 5.6 ft (1.7 m) long, the Port Jackson shark can be found in waters off the coast of Southern Australia.

Photo: janetsclough, CC BY-NC 4.0, iNaturalist