A new lizard genus from the mountains of North Queensland

By Paul Oliver, Janne Torkolla, Jessica Worthington-Wilmer and Patrick Couper In the mist-shrouded mountains of Queensland’s Wet Tropics there lives a secretive and very sensitive little lizard. This species main claim to fame is that unlike your typical reptile, it is apparently intolerant of even modest temperatures. In the “bible” of Australian lizard ecology the lizard researcher Allen Greer reports that “it will perish, presumably … Continue reading A new lizard genus from the mountains of North Queensland

qldmuseum11 July, 202214 July, 2022

Marine Environments, Museum of Tropical Queensland, News

Spawning the new coral emoji

Love 😍 them or hate 😡 them – emoji are a universal picture language understood by all. They just magically appeared on our devices one day, right? In fact, the first emoji were designed in 1999 but that’s a whole other (very interesting) story. As more and more emoji inserted themselves into daily life, people began to lament – why don’t they have a ‘#insertwhateveremojiyouwishforhere? … Continue reading Spawning the new coral emoji

qldmuseum28 April, 202229 April, 2022

Reptiles & Amphibians

Do you DIG legless lizards?

By Paul Oliver and Jessica Worthington Wilmer. This is a story about the about how the genes of obscure and rare animals can speak the history of our diverse landscapes. The stars of the story are two species of very odd-looking geckos. We typically think of geckos as big-eyed, soft-bodied lizards that run around on walls at night. But geckos are in fact a diverse … Continue reading Do you DIG legless lizards?

qldmuseum20 October, 2020

Conservation, Insects & Spiders, Research

Let’s not forget the “little things”

By Dr Mike Rix (Principal Curator, Arachnida, and Research Fellow) Most of us are all too familiar with the plights of large and charismatic species such as the tiger, black rhinoceros, giant panda and polar bear. Their iconic status and magnificence are synonymous with the international conservation movement, as their continued existence on planet Earth remains so dependent on the concerted efforts of citizens and … Continue reading Let’s not forget the “little things”

qldmuseum13 May, 2020

Conservation, Insects & Spiders, Mammals & Birds, Marine Environments, Reptiles & Amphibians

Sharing nature’s gems for World Wildlife Day

World Wildlife Day, held annually on 3 March, was created to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild animals and plants. The day has now become the most important global annual event dedicated to wildlife. This year’s theme is “Life below water: for people and planet”. Oceans harbour a rich variety of communities and a wealth of strange and beautiful creatures, each with its … Continue reading Sharing nature’s gems for World Wildlife Day

qldmuseum1 March, 20195 March, 2019

Queensland Museum Shop

Queensland Museum Guide To The Gifts That Keep On Giving

Please note: Some products listed in this article may no longer be available for sale. December is here and the festive season has already begun! At Queensland Museum Shop you’ll find timeless, high-quality pieces and a huge range of unique gifts for your family. To help you win the ‘best gift-giver’ title, we’ve hand-picked special objects and curated gift guides tailored to all ages, curiosities, … Continue reading Queensland Museum Guide To The Gifts That Keep On Giving

qldmuseum30 November, 201812 November, 2021

Collection, Collection Management, Mammals & Birds, Queensland Museum Foundation

Collection manager shares her favourite items

Queensland Museum Collection Manager (Mammals and Birds), Heather Janetzki, talks about some of her favourite items within the Queensland DNA campaign that you have the opportunity to look after.

Continue reading “Collection manager shares her favourite items”

qldmuseum13 November, 20144 March, 2015

Collection, Insects & Spiders, News

71 new Australian Goblin spider species named by QM researcher

Written by: Dr Barbara Baehr, Research Scientist, Terrestrial Environments (Arachnida)

Minute goblin spiders with orange armour are widely distributed but hidden! Goblin spiders have a worldwide distribution but are most common in the tropics and subtropics. Goblin spiders are mega diverse however most of the species are short range endemics living in habitats ranging from forests to deserts. The name Goblin spiders was chosen only a few years ago because of their grotesque body shape. Most of the Goblin spiders are orange colored with an armored body.

Continue reading “71 new Australian Goblin spider species named by QM researcher”

qmnadmin21 November, 201314 May, 2014

Marine Environments, News

Understanding the diversity of the Great Barrier Reef – and why it’s important

Written by: Dr John Hooper, Head, Natural Environments

New species of life forms, ranging from bacteria even up to mammals, continue to be discovered across the world on a daily basis. This includes species that make up our Great Barrier Reef (GBR), one of seven natural wonders of the world. So while we may have a reasonably good idea about the numbers and different types (species) of corals and fishes that build and live in the GBR ecosystem, we know very little about the many, probably hundreds of thousands of other species living amongst them – even some very large species, but most very small.

Continue reading “Understanding the diversity of the Great Barrier Reef – and why it’s important”

qmnadmin21 October, 20138 May, 2014

Education, Marine Environments

New Resources to Support Sustainability Education

Written by: Marcel Bruyn, Strategic Learning Sustainability is a cross-curriculum priority of the Australian Curriculum. Sustainability addresses the ongoing capacity of Earth to maintain all life. The AC website states that: “Education for sustainability develops the knowledge, skills, values and world views necessary for people to act in ways that contribute to more sustainable patterns of living.” In Science: “… students appreciate that science provides the … Continue reading New Resources to Support Sustainability Education

qmnadmin26 September, 2012

Education, Insects & Spiders

Incredible Insects: From the desk of Quentin the Quoll

To teach the Biological Sciences sub strand of the Australian Curriculum well, teachers need to feel fairly comfortable with living things. Of particular benefit is knowledge of insects, firstly because they are invertebrates and therefore don’t require the enormous screeds of paperwork for approval to use them. Secondly, insects are just simply amazing and frankly, without them, we’d all be dead! Insects of course are one of the … Continue reading Incredible Insects: From the desk of Quentin the Quoll

qmnadmin28 March, 20121 Comment

Education, Insects & Spiders, Mammals & Birds, Marine Environments, Reptiles & Amphibians

A LA LA! – Atlas of Living Australia Live At Last

Atlas of Living Australia Live At Last! The Atlas of Living Australia (ALA) was launched in Brisbane on the 20th May. At a special ceremony held at Queensland Museum (QM), Dr John Hooper (Head of Biodiversity and Geosciences at Queensland Museum) spoke about the collaboration of museums, herbaria, universities and other government collections in producing the ALA. The ALA is an online encyclopaedia of all living … Continue reading A LA LA! – Atlas of Living Australia Live At Last

qmnadmin21 June, 20111 Comment