Author: qmnadmin

Reptiles & Amphibians

Spotlight on Nangur Skink (Nangura spinosa)|World Lizard Day

To celebrate World Lizard Day on the 14 August and National Science Week, our #CouchCurator and Senior Curator of Reptiles, Patrick Couper is shining the spotlight on one species of Skink – Nangur Skink (Nangura spinosa). The Nangur Skink was discovered in 1992 when a single specimen was dug from a dry creek bed in Nangur State Forest. The discovery was made by staff from … Continue reading Spotlight on Nangur Skink (Nangura spinosa)|World Lizard Day

qmnadmin
Exhibitions & Events

International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

9 August is the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. This year’s focus in on highlighting how the preservation and promotion of indigenous peoples’ traditional knowledge and practices can be leveraged during COVID-19 and build back stronger. We’re seeing this in action with the incredible stories of resilience among the Hmong Community who are an ethnic group from the mountainous regions of China, Vietnam, … Continue reading International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

qmnadmin
5 minutes with

5 minutes with Dr Barbara Baehr, Arachnologist

Today’s #CouchCurator is Arachnologist, Dr Barbara Baehr who is sharing some of her favourite items from the Collection. What is your favourite object/species in the collection and why? Well I guess it is the Intertidal Bob Marley Spider “Desis bobmarleyi” as this species lives in the intertidal zone between high tide and low tide. We named this spider after the reggae legend Bob Marley because … Continue reading 5 minutes with Dr Barbara Baehr, Arachnologist

qmnadmin
Biodiversity

Living Fossils: Nautiluses

Living nautiluses are the survivors of a large group of shelled molluscs that first appeared in the seas long before the age of dinosaurs, perhaps as far back as 500 million years ago.  For this reason and the fact that they show many primitive features, they are today considered ‘living fossils’. Nautilus pompilius. Images by Schmidt Ocean Institute. Nautiluses are related to molluscs such as … Continue reading Living Fossils: Nautiluses

qmnadmin
5 minutes with

5 minutes with Kristen Spring, Collection Manager, Geosciences

Today’s #CouchCurator is Collection Manager Geosciences Program, Kristen Spring who is sharing some of her favourite items from the Collection. What is your favourite object/species in the collection and why? My role involves looking after all of the 7 or so million items we have in the Collection, and therefore I really can’t play favourites! However, if I had to name that one specimen that … Continue reading 5 minutes with Kristen Spring, Collection Manager, Geosciences

qmnadmin
5 minutes with

5 minutes with Darryl Potter, Collection Manager, Biodiversity (Mollusca)

Today’s #CouchCurator is Collection Manager, Biodiversity (Mollusca) Darryl Potter who is sharing some of his favourite items from the Collection. What is your favourite object/species in the collection and why? Not just one, rather difficult to pinpoint (like what’s your favourite song amongst numerous genres.) 1) Various species of Australian Land Snails (camaenids, caryodids, helicarionids, etc) – eg Giant Panda Snail. 2) Various species of … Continue reading 5 minutes with Darryl Potter, Collection Manager, Biodiversity (Mollusca)

qmnadmin
5 minutes with, Arachnology

5 minutes with Dr Robert Raven, Arachnology

Today’s #CouchCurator is Head, Terrestrial Biodiversity & Senior Curator, Chelicerata, Dr Robert Raven. With a wide knowledge of invertebrate groups, including earthworms and snails, as well as some frogs, Robert heads the most active arachnological unit in Australia. In 2010, they celebrated that since 1976, staff and honorary associates have described over 1000 new species of spiders. What is your favourite species in the collection … Continue reading 5 minutes with Dr Robert Raven, Arachnology

qmnadmin
Ancient environments, Archaeology, Collection, Queensland Museum

Held within eternal wrappings | Animal mummies in the Queensland Museum collection

Animal mummies in Ancient Egypt In ancient Egypt, a wide variety of animals were mummified. Household pets could be interred with their masters so they could be together in the afterlife; joints of poultry and meat were wrapped in linen and placed in tombs as […]

Continue reading Held within eternal wrappings | Animal mummies in the Queensland Museum collection

qmnadmin
Exhibitions & Events, Marine Environments

Can you name Queensland’s five major types of habitats?

Australia is one of only 17 countries in the world that is megadiverse that is, together these countries contain 70% of the world’s biodiversity. Queensland is the most biodiverse state of Australia, with 70% of Australia’s mammal species, 80% of Australia’s birds, and 50% of Australia’s reptiles and frogs. Queensland Museum has been a vital authority on the investigation, documentation and conservation of Queensland’s faunal … Continue reading Can you name Queensland’s five major types of habitats?

qmnadmin
Insects & Spiders

Where have all the museum insects gone?

By Katie Hiller, Information Officer, Queensland Museum Southbank Have you been wondering what the giant cockroaches and stick insects have been doing while the museum was closed? The insects from the Discovery Centre moved to a holiday home where they were kept warm and in isolation, from human visitors  but not each other, and they have been thriving in their new habitat. However, they are … Continue reading Where have all the museum insects gone?

qmnadmin
Mammals & Birds

Mysterious Night Parrots may not see in the dead of night

A Queensland Museum specimen of Australia’s most elusive nocturnal bird, the Night Parrot, has played a vital role in a new international study, which has found that this species may not be much better at seeing in the dark than other parrots active during the day. Queensland Museum Mammals and Birds Collection Manager Heather Janetzki said at the time of the study, the museum held … Continue reading Mysterious Night Parrots may not see in the dead of night

qmnadmin
Insects & Spiders

Our native Blue-banded Bees

By Dr Chris Burwell, Senior Curator of Insects, Queensland Museum Blue-banded bees, a name used for several species of Amegilla, are common visitors to Queensland gardens and are one of our most beautiful Australian native bees. Their boldly banded backsides (abdomens in entomological lingo) make these stocky bees stand out. The paler bands on the abdomen are made up of thousands of tiny, tightly-packed hairs. … Continue reading Our native Blue-banded Bees

qmnadmin
Reptiles & Amphibians

What does it take to take to describe a new species?

by Dr Paul Oliver, Queensland Museum and Griffith University Describing new species is bread and butter work for the scientists at Queensland Museum. Across our campuses we have experts in groups ranging from corals to spiders to snails. And over the 158-year history of the museum our scientist have described over 5000 new species. This work underpins our understanding of biodiversity. Field guides, conservation planning, … Continue reading What does it take to take to describe a new species?

qmnadmin
Collection

The oldest Lepidoptera book in the Queensland Museum Library

by Shannon Robinson, Queensland Museum Librarian Inspired by the recent butterfly activity this is the perfect time to share a couple of the rare Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) books held in the Queensland Museum Library. Unlike today, where we can photograph insects from using our phones to a microscopic-lens camera, the early naturalists relied on the art of hand-drawn illustration to accompany their text. There’s … Continue reading The oldest Lepidoptera book in the Queensland Museum Library

qmnadmin
5 minutes with

5 minutes with Dr Geraldine Mate

Today’s #CouchCurator is Acting Head, Cultures and Histories program, Dr Geraldine Mate who is sharing some of her favourite items from the Collection. I get to look after Queensland’s cultural history – it’s quite a privilege. And one of the things I love, as time goes by the intertangling of skeins, how one thread will connect to another, across collections and across object types – … Continue reading 5 minutes with Dr Geraldine Mate

qmnadmin
Queensland Stories

Queensland throughout the decades

Annually on 6 June we celebrate Queensland Day which marks the official separation from New South Wales as an independent colony since 1859. For over 157 years Queensland Museum Network has been collecting objects and items to document the past, and today we’re taking a looking back at items in the State Collection that relate to each decade. 1860’s – Silk Address This invitation, in … Continue reading Queensland throughout the decades

qmnadmin
Biodiversity

Queensland’s biodiversity

Queensland has Australia’s greatest biodiversity, characterised especially by some iconic ecosystems recognised internationally as World Heritage Areas and defined by their living and fossil biodiversity. Queensland has 19 of Australia’s 80 terrestrial bioregions, 17 of the 60 marine bioregions, and 5 of the 13 world heritage-listed sites (comprising 36 million hectares). These include the rainforests of the Wet Tropics, coral reefs of the Great Barrier … Continue reading Queensland’s biodiversity

qmnadmin
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Cultures

The ‘dogger’, the dingo and a little bit of know-how … the story of George Saunders

WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers should be warned that the following story contains images names of people who have passed away. By Judith Hickson, Curator, Social History, Queensland Museum In 2017, Mrs Gladys Waters donated two dingo traps to the Queensland Museum’s social history collection.  Handmade from discarded pieces of railway iron, the traps had belonged to Gladys’ father, George Maurice Saunders, who … Continue reading The ‘dogger’, the dingo and a little bit of know-how … the story of George Saunders

qmnadmin