Carnegie Museum of Natural History
One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh
These fossils were found in a quarry in Solnhofen, Germany, which was once a series of shallow, tropical lagoons. The environmental conditions at Solnhofen resulted in remarkably preserved fossils of Late Jurassic plants, invertebrates, fish, reptiles, and bird species like these fossils on display in Dinosaurs in Their Time.
It is easy to guess where the blue-tongued skink gets its name! This skink is part of Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s living collection and is well cared for by our trained staff.
Meet our skink or other animals, like birds and small mammals, at daily Live Animal Encounters at the museum, or even invite them out to your school or library with our outreach programs!
The Section of Amphibians and Reptiles at Carnegie Museum of Natural History holds approximately the 10th largest collection of amphibians and reptiles in North America in the historic Alcohol House.
by Patrick McShea
Upside down is an unnatural state. Yet within the museum’s display of Pennsylvania turtles, four of 14 taxidermy mounts are bottom side up. With strained necks and legs positioned in frozen flail, the four reptiles, each representing a different
turtle species, appear in perpetual effort to right themselves.
Their awkward stance reveals clever exhibit design. A turtle’s bottom shell, or plastron, differs drastically from its upper shell, or carapace, in size, shape, color pattern, and surface texture. The overturned turtles instantly convey this visual information to attentive viewers.
At Carnegie Museum of Natural History, displays of Pennsylvania’s amphibians and reptiles can be found on the Daniel G. and Carole L. Kamin T. rex Overlook.
For addition species information visit: http://www.fishandboat.com/Resource/AmphibiansandReptiles/Pages/default.aspx
Patrick McShea works in the Education and Visitor Experience department of Carnegie Museum of Natural History. Museum employees are encouraged to blog about their unique experiences of working at the museum.
We may have found at least 10 new species of amphibians and reptiles; however, pertinent comparisons with museums specimens and detailed analyses of the anatomy, mating call, and or DNA, will be required to analyze species diversity using collected samples. In no other expedition have we found so many new species.
José Padial and his team of researchers are traveling in the remote Vilcabamba mountains of Peru in the pursuit of biodiversity research. He blogs and sends photos as often as possible capturing his expedition along the way
