Dried skull of a monkfish or goosefish.
Dried skull of a monkfish or goosefish (Lophius americanus). This is a bottom dwelling fish that has a small lure on its head that it uses to attract prey.
Thanks to Dr. Brenna Frasier Curator of Zoology for these posts.
#halloween #spooky #nsmstrange #novascotia
A detailed, close-up photograph of a Death's-head Hawkmoth (likely Acherontia atropos), a large moth with a stout, furry body and broad wings, pinned and displayed against a plain white background. The moth's forewings are a mottled pattern of dark brown, black, and reddish-orange. The hindwings are bright yellow with two broad, dark black bands. The moth's thorax features the characteristic, pale marking that strikingly resembles a human skull, giving the moth its common name. The abdomen is robust and also yellow with black banding.
Deaths head hawkmoth (Acherontia species). Can you see the face? This species was featured in the horror movie, The Silence of the Lambs. This species is not native to Nova Scotia.
Thanks to Dr. Brenna Frasier Curator of Zoology for these posts.
#halloween #spooky #nsmstrange #novascotia
A handful of snakes.
C'est l'Halloween!
A handful of snakes, pulled from a bucket in NSM Zoology wet collections.
Thanks to Dr. Brenna Frasier Curator of Zoology for these posts.
#halloween #spooky #nsmstrange #novascotia
Nest of an organ pipe mud dauber wasp.
Nest of an organ pipe mud dauber wasp (Trypoxylon politum). Look closely! This wasp lays its eggs within narrow cavities constructed of mud, it then fills each cavity with paralysed spiders and lays an egg. When the eggs hatch, the larva have a meal waiting!
#halloween #nsmstrange #novascotia
A high-angle close-up view looking down into a white bucket. Inside, a small, deceased squirrel is nestled in a thick, circular bed of brown nesting material, which appears to be a mix of dried grass, fine twigs, and shredded white paper. The animal’s body is partially decomposed, dark brown, and small; its head and eye socket are visible near the top center, and a bit of dark brown, bushy tail fur is visible on the right edge.
A mummified squirrel in nest. On close view the skin is wonderfully preserved, and fair follicles can be observed.
Thanks to Dr. Brenna Frasier Curator of Zoology for these posts.
#halloween #spooky #nsmstrange #novascotia
A person wearing a white lab coat and blue nitrile gloves holds up a preserved rat specimen. The animal is stiff, with dark, matted fur, visible teeth, and a long tail. The background is a blurred laboratory.
Rat, found in collections freezer and held up by Zoology collections intern.
Thanks to Dr. Brenna Frasier Curator of Zoology for these posts.
#halloween #spooky #nsmstrange #novascotia
A preserved, mummified specimen of a cat with dry, light-colored skin stretched over bones, resting in a storage box. Near its leg is a small, clear, cup containing a tiny, shrunken, preserved mouse.
Mummified cat and mouse. I guess neither of them won.
Thanks to Dr. Brenna Frasier Curator of Zoology for these posts.
#halloween #spooky #nsmstrange #novascotia
(The cat feature in this image was found in the wall of a house, it probably ate poison meant for a mouse.)
Raven.
Raven (Corvus corax) taxidermy specimen. One of the primary ways to distinguish a raven from a crow is by their larger beak.
Thanks to Dr. Brenna Frasier Curator of Zoology for these posts.
#halloween #spooky #nsmstrange #novascotia
Owl’s claw, clenched.
Owl claw. Unlike humans, in a relaxed state an owl’s claws are clenched.
Thanks to Dr. Brenna Frasier Curator of Zoology for these posts.
#halloween #spooky #nsmstrange #novascotia
