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Florida Museum of Natural History

@floridamuseum.bsky.social

The Florida Museum of Natural History inspires people to care about life on Earth. Located on the University of Florida campus, we are also the state museum.

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Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 5h ago

Artist Minna Fernald donated over 320 paintings of Florida wildflowers to the university in 1942, providing a rich record of the state’s past ecological life. 🥀 Forgotten for decades, rediscovered watercolor collection features hundreds of Florida plants www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/wate...

a watercolor painting on dark ivory paper shows a thin stem of a plant with tufts of leaves at intervals and a few narrow branches arching outwards to support sprays of tiny buds, of which some are blooming into small tasseled purple flowers

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · yesterday

Museum Collections 🐌 Native & Invasive Land Snails Florida’s Rosy Wolf Snail were introduced to Pacific islands to control invasive snails like the Giant African Snail. Unfortunately, they devastated native snail populations instead. 🎧 With John Slapcinsky: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/100-years/ob...

on the left is a large cone shaped snail shell in sandy pink and rust brown colors. In the middle is a smaller and more rounded snail shell in softer coloring. On the right is a small pile of much smaller snail shells with dark brown swirls against creamy white bodies.

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 2d ago

Museum Collections 🧺 Seminole and Miccosukee Baskets 👉 www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/sflarch/ethn... Basket making techniques vary widely and depends on the material used — coiling, twining, plaiting, and stake & strand. Seminole and Miccosukee baskets are made using the plaited and coiling methods.

a grid of photos of different styles and shapes of woven baskets from bowls to long tubes to classic vase shapes, some with colorful thread as binding

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 5d ago

Museum Resource 🐟 Fishes in the Fresh Waters of Florida Explore our state's freshwater fish species, including collection records, photos and map. Shown: Dollar Sunfish (Lepomis marginatus), indigenous to Florida's freshwaters 🔗 More info & browse gallery: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fis...

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 6d ago

Gustav Paulay, curator of our invertebrate zoology collection, recently joined an OceanX bioblitz off the coast of Timor-Leste in Southeast Asia. Jump to the OceanX video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6-x... Read (and watch) about this ambitious bioblitz: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/museum-blog/...

Hundreds of New Species in 2 Weeks? Inside a Real-Life Ocean BioBlitz

YouTube video by OceanX

youtube.com

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · last wk.

Scientists have developed a model to predict the age of zebra sharks - an epigenetic clock - a useful tool for protecting endangered sharks and restoring wild populations. 🦈 Story: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/scie... Study: doi.org/10.1111/mec.... 📸: @aquariumpacific.bsky.social

Zebra shark swimming in an aquarium, displaying distinctive dark spots and stripes on a light-colored body.

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · last wk.

Museum Collections 🔬 Secret Morphology Lepidopterists can often look at butterfly and moth wing patterns to help identify them, but not always. They sometimes have to rely on – genitalia dissection. Read about this with our McGuire Center: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/mcguire/news...

a brightly back-lit image of what looks like a five petalled flower with pink hair on its petals next to a small glassy oblong tube with short golden hairs lining one end. There is a small inset showing a tiny glass dish near labels which indicates this could be magnified biological items from insects of some kind

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · last wk.

Museum Collections 🦪 Invertebrate Paleontology Galleries #MolluskMonday From crabs to sea biscuits, browse fossil specimens in our invertebrate paleontology collection: floridamuseum.ufl.edu/invertpaleo/... Featured Species: Turritella wagneriana Specimen: # UF 9742 Location: Sarasota Co., FL

Two views of a very pointy snail shell with a distinct set of ridges that run around the spiral from the small opening at the base. There is some sand colored residue on part of it and it is slightly aged looking as if it's a fossil

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 2w ago

“If you go to the neotropics, Colobura is one of the first butterflies you see,” said Anisha Sapkota. Rather than clarifying the evolutionary history of Colobura, discovering one species was actually three here has resulted in a lot of head scratching: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/this...

Two butterflies resting on mossy ground. One has bold black and white striped wings, the other is brown.

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 2w ago

A rare intact Potano-Timucua pot was excavated by @ufl.edu students during fieldwork at a local mission site. Artifacts at this site are revealing the story of the village that once thrived in what is now a shady patch of woods not far from campus. Story: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/stud...

Hands holding a small, aged ceramic bowl against a black background.

Three people are working outdoors near a wooded area. A large metal tripod supports a platform with a mesh screen, where one person is standing and sifting material. Another person is leaning over and using a shovel to move soil into a blue bucket, near a pile of dirt covered with a tarp. A third person stands nearby, wearing a hat and observing.

Hand holding a pottery shard covered in dirt, found during an archaeological dig in a forest.

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 2w ago

Museum Resource 🐍 Florida Snake ID Guide Easy visual ID and searchable tool for learning about our state's snakes including habitat, range, diet & lookalikes. Featured: Dekay’s Brownsnake (Storeria dekayi) Snake profile: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/florida-snak... NON-VENOMOUS

Dekay’s Brownsnake

NON-VENOMOUS Other common names Brown Snake Basic description Most adult Dekay’s Brownsnakes are about 9-13 inches (23-33 cm) in total length. These snakes are small, thin, and may be grayish-brown or...

floridamuseum.ufl.edu

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 2w ago

Exhibit #SciArt 🪸 Florida Miocene Paintings in our exhibit help to illustrate Florida's evolving ecosystems over time as changing sea levels exposed or submerged our peninsula. 🗝️ The art + species key: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/exhibits/blo... Bonus specimen: Melongena sculpturata, # UF 114310

a painting of an underwater landscape with fishes, sharks and rays swimming above a sandy coral and sea grass covered ocean floor

a numbered key to the marine illustration in this post has some animals shown as orange shapes with a number on them to match the list in the linked webpage

Two views of a very worn conch style shell with a heavy cone shaped body and stuffy spires, and the surface is pitted and chipped like it is a very old fossil

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 3w ago

FDOT extended a grant for our curator Jaret Daniels and his lab to grow, plant & monitor milkweeds along Florida roads. The goal is to understand how to create the most effective environmental corridors for monarch butterflies & pollinators in FL. Story: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/butt...

Four people are working outdoors, planting small seedlings. One person in the foreground is digging a hole with a shovel, wearing a light-colored shirt and hat. A vehicle with the trunk open is visible nearby, and three other people are planting sprouts further down a grassy field alongside a road. A wire fence separates the field from a line of trees.

Hands wearing gardening gloves carrying a tray of small plants in seedling containers, outdoors.

Two people in light-colored shirts inspect a grassy field with marked survey flags and take notes on clipboards.

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 3w ago

Museum Resource 🐟 Fishes in the Fresh Waters of Florida Explore our state's freshwater fish species, including collection records, photos and map. Shown: Shadow Bass (Ambloplites ariommus), indigenous to Florida's freshwaters 🔗 More info & browse gallery: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fis...

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 3w ago

Museum Collections 🎺 Coral Honeysuckle Popular Florida-native vine that attracts butterflies & hummingbirds! More from UF/IFAS: gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/ornam... Herbarium feat.: Lonicera sempervirens Specimen: # FLAS 193161 Loc.: Levy County, FL www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/herbarium/

Herbarium sheet displaying pressed specimens of narrow twigs with small elongated leaves and clusters of orange tubular flowers, with annotations detailing collection information and plant identification.

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 3w ago

Work with us! 🐟 Assistant Curator of Ichthyology This is a 12-month, tenure-track position 👇 🔸 Full info: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/caree... 🔸 Apply via @ufl.edu: explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/54... 🔸 About us: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/ 🏛️📌 Apply by Aug. 21, 2026

Museum storage room filled with shelves of jars containing preserved specimens, with two women examining them.

Person photographing a fish in a tank with white reflector boards, outdoors near a vehicle.

Two people examine a large tank containing preserved specimens, possibly fish, in a research setting.

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 3w ago

July 19 🔦 Nocturnal Neighbors: Insect Diversity and Puppets Learn about the biodiversity of nighttime insects and get inspired to make shadow puppets with our lepidopterist Vaughn Shirey and local artist Angela DeCarlis. Pre-register for this FREE event: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/event/noctur...

A dragonfly rests on a blue textured surface, illuminated by a bright light source creating a strong shadow. A hand holds a smartphone displaying a photo of the same dragonfly, capturing the scene from a lower perspective.

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 4w ago

This story about the Caibbean, plants called melastomes, and bird flight paths includes an homage to the late Walter Judd (1951 – 2026), a beloved botanist and colleague. Story: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/scie...

a wide view of a steep mountain valley that is misty and green under lacy clouds in the distance and covered in trees in the near view with sunlight pouring across it from the right with a vivid glow against an empty blue sky

an older man in a blue button down shirt is holding a short branch topped with a burst of large leathery dark green leaves in a garden or park

a man wearing a green ball cap, several layers of plaid shirts and thick square glasses ins squinting into bright sunlight outdoors in front of a small grassy hill with irregular brush growing across it

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 4w ago

Conservation #GoodNews 🦋 10 Years of Butterflies + Beer Our scientists and First Magnitude brewers collaborated on a new way to think about butterfly conservation. Turns out the community loves supporting pollinators at a party with snacks + beer: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/museum-blog/... 🦋🍺🌱

Ten years of brewing conservation with butterfly beers

Ten years ago, scientists at the Florida Museum of Natural History wondered if they could persuade the community to raise a pint to butterfly conservation. Eighteen beer launches later, Gainesville ha...

floridamuseum.ufl.edu

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 4w ago

Rice fueled many of the earliest civilizations and remains an indispensable source of food in the modern world. That might be about to change. Scientists warn that after 9,000 years of cultivation, rice has reached its thermal limit: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/afte... Photo: Jialiang Gao

Terraced rice paddies cascade down a steep hillside. The paddies are filled with water, creating a layered, reflective pattern. Some paddies are green with growing rice, while others are brown or reddish-brown. Sparse trees dot the landscape both along the terraces and at the base of the hill.

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 4w ago

Museum Collections 🏷️ Ancient Art Feature: Plaque with Painted Woodpecker, dates to ~AD 650-750 “Woodpeckers are revered by many southeastern Indian people because of their roles in origin stories and as symbols of war.” 🎧 More with Bill Marquardt: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/100-years/ob...

Stylized woodpecker drawing on weathered wood. The drawing, sketched in dark lines, depicts a woodpecker with a curled neck and detailed feather patterns. It’s rendered on a fragmented piece of rough-hewn, dark brown wood with prominent grain and cracks.

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · last mo.

Museum Collections 🌿 Perfect pitcher Pitcherplants thrive in Florida's wetlands, especially the Gulf Coastal Plain. More from UF/IFAS: ask.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/... Herbarium feat. Species: Sarracenia rosea Specimen: # FLAS 139652 Collected: 1979, Walter Judd www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/herbarium/

Herbarium sheet displaying pressed specimens of Sarracenia rosea, a large and elaborate pitcher plant including roots and numerous leaves as well as one flower, with annotations detailing collection information and plant identification.

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · last mo.

Museum Collections 🐕 Doggo fossil Osbornodon iamonensis is an omnivorous, coyote-sized member of the dog family that lived in Florida during the early Miocene. Species: Osbornodon iamonensis Specimen: # UF/FGS 5255 *HOLOTYPE* More: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/florida-vert...

a section of lower jaw bone with sharp molars in place and discolored as if it is a fossil, against a black background next to a short ruler

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · last mo.

Museum Collections 🏺 Ceramic Type Gallery Our type collections of historic period archaeological ceramics (1492-1850) includes thousands of images of individual sherds, representing hundreds of different ceramic types. Browse and search: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/histarch/cer...

a small rectangle of broken ceramic shows what could be a stylized leaf and vine curls against a white background with a brown band along one edge

a wide triangle of broken pottery has a faded blue on blue pattern of leaves over reddish stained ceramic

an oblong shard of ceramic pottery has a jaunty pattern on white and brown inset with bright bands of orange and green and yellow and blue

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · last mo.

This butterfly was really three caterpillars in a trench coat 🐛🐛🐛 Butterflies in the genus Colobura are ubiquitous in C. & S. America. For 200 years, this genus was thought to contain one species. Turns out there were two more hiding in plain sight. www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/this...

a small triangular cream colored butterfly has fine geometric patterns on its wings in black and it is at rest on a mossy surface next to a plain brown butterfly that looks similar in shape

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · last mo.

Ten years ago, our Daniels Lab scientists and the brewers at First Magnitude collaborated on a new way to think about butterfly conservation. They decided to ask the community to raise a pint to raise awareness. #PollinatorWeek 🦋 Looking back and forward: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/museum-blog/...

Stack of twelve craft beer cans and one bottle, displaying various brewery labels and designs

Interior view of a brewery tasting room with several people standing around a table. Two employees, a man in a green shirt and a woman with a white hat, are interacting with a customer, a young man in a tan jacket. A display table in the foreground holds clear plastic enclosures with plants inside. A chalkboard menu is visible on the wall, along with merchandise and brewery equipment.

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · last mo.

When we think about pollinators, bees and butterflies are often the first to come to mind. But there are many other types of insects, and even some vertebrates, that can act as pollinators and also deserve appreciation: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/cele... #PollinatorWeek 🌻 June 22-28, 2026

a small green hummingbird is sitting in the middle of a fluffy purple flower surrounded by leaves

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · last mo.

#SciArt Spotlight 🐗 Florida Oligocene Art in our Florida Fossils exhibit helps to illustrate what Florida might have looked like as the sea levels dropped and animals migrated to this newly exposed land. 🗝️ Check out the art + key: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/exhibits/blo... 🖼️: by Carl Buell

an illustration of a beachside forest with large and small mammals as well as a snake and toad, with a numbered key to the illustration below it

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · last mo.

Museum Collections 🐁 Rare, Beautiful & Fascinating Feature: Southeastern Beach Mice “There are 8 species of beach mice that are found all along the coasts of Florida and Alabama, although one is already considered to be extinct.” 🎧 More with Verity Mathis www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/100-years/ob...

four specimens of small sand colored mice with cotton showing instead of eyes, shading from a darker light gray at the back to a very pale beige near the front

Florida Museum of Natural History @floridamuseum.bsky.social · 2mo ago

We're hiring! 🐟 Assistant Curator of Ichthyology This is a 12-month, tenure-track position 👇 🔸 Full info: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/caree... 🔸 Apply via @ufl.edu: explore.jobs.ufl.edu/en-us/job/54... 🔸 About the Dept. of Natural History, Florida Museum: www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/nhdept/

Group of people in a studio setting observing a clear container with an object inside, some taking photos with phones.

Man in blue shirt holding a large fish and a tray of smaller fish, with a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission vehicle behind him.

Two women working with animal specimens in a storage room with metal shelving and a forklift.

Group of people looking at small fish and amphibians in a water tank during an outdoor educational event.