Category Archives: Animals

Museum birds tell their tale

Posted on June 27, 2018 by

What can be learned from a bird’s nest from 1925? Or from a Bird of Paradise collected in the middle of the last century? Michel Gosselin shows us five specimens from the Museum’s bird collection that each tell a very special story. Continue reading →

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Museum’s millions-strong Arctic marine invertebrates collection gets digitized

Posted on May 30, 2018 by

Thanks to Beaty family donation, the museum is digitizing the collection information for its millions of Arctic marine invertebrates, writes Samantha Brooksbank. Continue reading →

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The teething of the shrew

Posted on March 7, 2018 by

How do you tell apart Canada’s 19 species of shrews? Elliot Schmidt says it’s a no-brainer: Look at the teeth. Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Collections, Mammals, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Small pond holds big fish diversity, and drama

Posted on November 29, 2017 by

It’s a small pond at the Canadian Museum of Nature’s research facility, but there’s big fish drama swimming in it. Museum summer student Francesco Janzen reveals a diverse world of finned deception, conflict and even a fish that uses electricity to catch its prey – all under the surface of a little pond. Continue reading →

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Going Hunting in Texas

Posted on November 29, 2016 by

Search for an elusive insect with museum entomologist Robert Anderson. Continue reading →

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Arachnophilia: Spiders of the Museum Research Campus

Posted on October 28, 2016 by

Two students don’t have to wait for Halloween to get to know mysterious beasts. Continue reading →

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How Did Those Mussels Get to the Museum’s Pond?

Posted on August 29, 2016 by

The surprising voyage taken by mussel larvae—which are attached to fish—to reach and colonize one of our ponds. Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Fieldwork, Research | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Searching for Pearly Mussels in the Rideau River during the Hottest Days of Summer

Posted on July 25, 2016 by

Sixteen years after the first study, what is the state of native mussels in Ontario’s Rideau River? Research scientist André Martel and team will be diving all summer to find out. Continue reading →

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Setting Up House: Acquiring and Caring for Live Beetles

Posted on June 2, 2016 by

What’s involved in getting the live beetles into the museum for exhibition? Overseas shipping, custom housing and a gentle touch are just some of the requirements outlined by animal-care technician Stuart Baatnes. Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Animals in Our Galleries, Exhibitions, Live animals at the museum, Tools of the trade | Tagged | 2 Comments

Dinos of Canada stamps Stampede into Canada Post Outlets

Posted on May 26, 2016 by

It’s not every day a palaeontologist introduces a new dinosaur species to the world! Jordan Mallon tells the story of “Judith”, the new horned dinosaur that he recently identified at the museum with colleagues. Continue reading →

Posted in Animals, Fossils | Tagged , , | 1 Comment