Step inside a savanna or view a lowland gorilla emerging from lush tropical foliage in the Hall of African Wildlife. Our detailed and realistic dioramas transport you to a water hole where a giraffe, two species of zebra, African buffalo, wildebeest, and warthog have gathered. In the shadow of a Baobab tree, gerenuks stand on their hind legs nibbling leaves while termites build their impressive mounds.
The hall’s 12 dioramas invite visitors to enter Africa’s wild biomes and see exotic animals, from carnivorous mammals to fascinating insects, up close. Scenes like a lowland gorilla emerging from lush tropical foliage and a pair of zebra duikers foraging in the undergrowth capture visitors’ imaginations.
Our dioramas represent the African continent’s four major life zones—savanna, rainforest, mountain, and desert—and the unique animals that call this amazing continent home.
Meet our Mammalogists
Learn about the Mammal Collection at the Museum
The Section of Mammals houses a research collection consisting of more than 118,553 specimens. The main collection is housed at the Edward O’Neil Research Center, about two miles from the main Carnegie Museum of Natural History building.
Taxonomic coverage includes 24 of the 26 living orders of mammals and 114 of the 136 Recent families. The collection includes 40 holotypes.
Blogs about Mammals
What’s in a Name? The History of the Naming of the Eastern Mole
by John Wible In the tenth edition of the “Systema Naturae” (1758), the Swedish botanist and natural historian Carl Linnaeus recognized eight …Scientific Names Matter in March Mammal Madness
by Erin Southerland March Mammal Madness (MMM) bracket advice: look up the scientific names of species on the MMM website before you …World Pangolin Day 2024 – The Mysterious Mammalian “Wishbone”
by John Wible World Pangolin Day 2024 is on February 17, a day to raise awareness of pangolins or scaly anteaters, one …Groundhog Day 2024: Punxsutawney Phil’s Alpine Cousin
by Suzanne McLaren and John Wible Beginning in 1887 in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the celebration of Groundhog Day has made the groundhog (Marmota …