American Museum of Natural History

Say hi to the Channel-billed Toucan (Ramphastos vitellinus)! This bird lives throughout parts of northern and central South America and is named for the groove, or channel, that runs down its bill. There are four subspecies of this bird that come in a variety of colors. Its bill can grow as much as 5.5 inches (13.9 centimeters) long. In fact, this species has one of the largest beak-to-body ratios out of any bird in the world! Photo: AleNunes, CC BY-SA 2.0, flickr

At first glance, the tricolored bat (Perimyotis subflavus) might not appear to be three different colors. But look closely, and you might be able to see that each of its hairs are dark by the base, yellowish in the middle, and brown at the tip! This bat is wide-ranging, inhabiting the eastern regions of the United States and Mexico, as well as Central America. It’s an insectivore and uses echolocation to track down prey; when the hunting is good, it can eat as much as 25% of its body weight in a half hour’s time! Photo: Andrew Hoffman, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, flickr

On the left is a live tarantula from the Museum's Entomology Department; some of our spider residents are over 20 years old! And on the right? A tarantula brooch created by Hemmerle which can be seen in the Museum’s special exhibition Beautiful Creatures. Do you see the resemblance? Fun fact: The natural 111.76-carat brown horse conch pearl in the rear segment of the bejeweled arachnid is believed to be one of, if not the, largest natural horse conch pearls in the world! #NewYorkRocks

Did you know? There’s a penguin that calls the Galápagos Islands its home. Meet the Galápagos Penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus)! It’s one of the smaller penguin species, growing around 20.9 inches (53 centimeters) tall and only weighing as much as 5.7 pounds (2.6 kilograms). It’s also the only penguin found near the equator! Unlike most of its relatives, this sea bird must battle the blazing heat of the sunbaked islands where it lives. Some of the ways it keeps cool? It seeks shade in crevices, pants, and stands with its wings outstretched to release some body heat and prevent its feet from getting sunburnt. Photo: Nick Athanas, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, flickr

Live colorfully, like the Madagascan sunset moth (Chrysiridia rhipheus)! This vibrant critter inhabits its namesake island, where it flies about during the day sipping on nectar. Fun fact: Being active while the Sun is out is an uncommon behavior among moths, which is partly why this moth was first described as a butterfly, then later placed in the moth genus Chrysirida after further observations! Its chromatic wings are iridescentthe color you see is a result of the way light reflects off of the many curved scales that cover its wings. Photo: Bernard DUPONT, CC BY-SA 2.0, flickr

Meet the blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus)! Found widely across Africa, the massive animal can weigh as much as 595 pounds (270 kilograms). But its hefty weight doesn’t hinder its ability to run fast; wildebeest can move at speeds around 50 miles (80 km) per hour! Well-known for its annual northbound migration, a wildebeest will join nearly 1.5 million of its kind in search of grazing opportunities. Photo: Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0, flickr

The Red-fan Parrot (Deroptyus accipitrinus) puts its signature plumage to use in a few ways. When threatened, it’ll fan out its vibrant neck feathers to intimidate a foe by making itself seem larger in size. Feathers are also used in courtship rituals, when they’re raised up as come-hither collars by males and females in a display as a pair will sway their heads from side to side. Spot this bird in tropical forests throughout parts of South America, including Columbia and Peru. Photo: Doug Janson, CC-BY-SA-3.0, Wikimedia Commons

Get to know the burrowing toad (Rhinophrynus dorsalis)! Sometimes called a bag of bones, it emerges from beneath the ground only a few times a year to breed during heavy rains. This amphibian uses its snout to access the underground tunnels and nests of its prey, including termites and ants. Once its snout is in place, it slurps up its meals with its tongue! This toad lives in parts of Texas and through Mexico to Costa Rica. Photo: Ashley Wahlberg (Tubbs), CC BY-ND 2.0, flickr

If your face turns red when you get angry, you might be able to relate to this bird of prey: Meet the Bateleur Eagle (Terathopius ecaudatus). The coloring on this raptor’s face and legs varies with its mood; when excited, it can go from a shade of pale orange to a bright red. This bird has a wide range across Africa south of the Sahara Desert, and it flies at low altitudes searching for snakes, carrion, or termites to eat. Photo: Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0, flickr

Meet the Crested Barbet (Trachyphonus vaillantii)! This striking species can be found in parts of Africa, including Angola, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe. The roughly 9.1-inch (23-centimeter)-long bird lives in woodland habitats, where it feeds on fruits, seeds, and insects. Some of its favorite snacks are guavas and grasshoppers. Both males and females have patterns of red, orange, and black-and-white plumage; the main difference is that females’ colors may be more subdued. Photo: Derek Keats, CC BY 2.0, flickr

Does this time of year make you feel ghoulish? The bearded ghoul (Inimicus didactylus) can relate. This fish lurks on the ocean floor in the Indo-Pacific, using its pectoral fins to pull itself along the sand. When hungry, it will bury itself beneath the sand and, with its upward-facing eyes, seek out small fish to ambush. Few animals dare to prey on the bearded ghoul, as it can inject a powerful venom via its dorsal spineswhich is why this fish is also known as the demon stinger. Photo: Jack, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, flickr

The giant cactus (Echinopsis atacamensis pasacana) populates many of the small islands that dot the Uyuni Salt Flats in southwestern Bolivia. These salt flatsremains of an ancient seaare the largest in the world, covering an area almost the size of Connecticut! They hold some 10 billion tons of salt. The giant cactus can grow to 33 feet (10 meters) tall, and its woody skeleton is often used to construct homes and furniture. Of the more than 250 species of cacti in Bolivia, 70 percent exist nowhere else in the world. Photo: Bernard DUPONT, CC BY-SA 2.0, flickr

Like fall foliage, the Orange Dove (Ptilinopus victor) decorates the treetops with flame-like colors. Except, you won’t find this bird hanging out in the autumnal trees of North America. This species lives in forests on the islands of Fiji, where it munches on fruits and berries. Only males display bold orange plumage; females are green. Photo: Tom Tarrant, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, flickr

With Halloween just one week away, acquaint yourself with the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus). How did this mammal get its creepy name? It all stems from its feeding habits: it often crawls undetected onto the bodies of its sleeping prey to bite them and sip their blood. But unlike in a horror film, the vampire bat rarely kills, and its victims (typically birds or livestock) seldom realize they’ve been bitten. Photo: Josh More, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0, flickr

Meet the Narcondam Hornbill (Rhyticeros narcondami)! You’ll only find this endangered bird in the wild on Narcondam Island, which is a small volcanic island in the Andaman Sea. It lives in forests and spends its time hopping about in the tree canopy or on the ground seeking ripe fruit and the occasional critter. If this bird spots a caterpillar, it will clean the hairs off of the insect by scraping it against a branch before chowing down! To distinguish a male from a female, check the plumage color on the head and neck; the male is rusty-colored, while the female is black. Photo: Rohitjahnavi, CC-BY-SA-4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Happy birthday to Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, the largely self-taught Father of Microbiology, who was born on this day in 1632. Armed with a microscope of his own making, this Dutch haberdasher was the first to document observations of microscopic organisms, including bacteria, protists, and rotifers, which he called animalcules. His observations helped to refute the idea of spontaneous generation, a hypothetical process by which living organisms were thought to develop from nonliving matter. The majority of his discoveries were not published in books but instead explained in hundreds of letters directed to the Royal Society, a London-based group chartered in 1660 to promote scientific research. Image: Anthonie van Leeuwenhoek (1632-1723). Natuurkundige te Delft, Jan Verkolje (I), 1680-1686

Embrace your inner wild cat in the Museum’s Hall of Biodiversity this weekend, like this tiger queen! Did you know? The Siberian tiger, also known as the Amur tiger, is one of the largest big cats alive today. Males can weigh as much as 660 pounds (299 kilograms) and can be as long as 10 feet (3 meters), from head to tail. The range of this Asian species includes parts of eastern Russia, northeastern China, and North Korea. It brings down large animals, such as ungulates and the occasional bear, with a flying tackle, forcing its canines into the prey’s throat or spine. Photo: D. Finnin/ AMNH