Natural History Museum, London

@nhm-london

We’re the museum looking deeper into the Earth’s past to shape a new future where both people and planet thrive. Protecting the planet, it’s in our nature. 🌍

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Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 6d

What do Dippy, Hope and George have in common? 🦕🐳🐘 They are or were the specimens that welcomed our visitors in Hintze Hall! Take a look at these stunning photos from our Library and Archives collection. 😍

A black and white photograph of Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum taken from the main staircase. In the centre of the room, we can see the back of a skeleton displayed.

A black and white photograph of Hintze Hall at the Natural History Museum taken close to the main entrance.

A black and white photograph of a taxidermy African elephant at the Natural History Museum. It’s displayed on the plinth. On the left hand-side, there are multiple visitors.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 14d

You might have seen a purple emperor in southern UK woodlands - but they aren’t always purple! 🦋 Microscopic scales on their wings bend and reflect light so that they look purple or brown from different viewing angles.

A butterfly perched on the floor spreading out deep purple wings with white and orange spots. One wing is very vibrant purple, whilst part of the other fades from purple to brown.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 14d

The purple vampire crab is a tiny (3-5cm) crustacean found in Java, Indonesia. There are many species of vampire crab, named as such for their spooky yellow eyes! 👀

A bright mauve crab with violet pincers, darker purple legs and bright yellow eyes underwater.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 14d

This is the Violet-backed starling, also known as the amethyst starling for its beautiful iridescent wings! Found in sub-Saharan Africa, only the males are purple - the females are speckled brown and look more like a thrush. 🪽

A vibrant bird with iridescent feathers in shades of purple, mauve, violet and blue on its head and back with a white belly, perching on the side of a water dish.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 14d

No, it’s not AI - this is a real species, the purple harlequin toad! Native to the rainforests of French Guiana, their psychedelic skin warns predators of their toxicity. Sadly, this tiny toxic toad is critically endangered.

A top-down view of a toad with deep purple skin and bright pink markings resting on a leaf, credited to Nick Stacey @‌indicator_species

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 14d

Purple is relatively rare in nature - but there are some powerfully purple species across the globe! 💜 Let’s meet some of the purplest players seen in the natural world ⬇️

A vibrant purple toad with bright pink markings resting on a green leaf, credited to Nick Stacey @‌indicator_species

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 15d

5. They’re really old 🐢 Sea turtles have been on earth over 100 million years, when dinosaurs were around! 🦕

A fossilised sea turtle species preserved in grey rock with a long tail.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 15d

4. Some turtles are “spongeivores”! 🧽 Different sea turtle species are omnivores, carnivores and herbivores - but the Hawksbill turtle’s diet of over 95% sponge has earned it the official title of “spongivore”! 🧽

A hawksbill turtle nibbling at a piece of sponge in an underwater reef.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 15d

3. They can hold their breath a really long time 🌊 Sea turtles can’t breathe underwater, but they can hold their breath for a long time - anywhere between 5 and 40 minutes while foraging for food! 🪸

A sea turtle with just its head out of the water, taken on the water line to show above and below the surface.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 15d

2. They’re born with a temporary tool to help them hatch 🐣 Sea turtles are born with an “egg tooth” or “caruncle”, a sharp tip on their bill which helps break through the egg and falls off within an hour of hatching. 🦷

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 15d

1. Their sex is decided by temperature! 🌡️ It’s a phenomenon known as temperature-dependent sex determination - sea turtle eggs incubated in warm sand are more likely to hatch female, whereas cooler sand will hatch more males! 🐢

A hole in the sand containing round white turtle eggs covered with sand.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 15d

Sea turtles are remarkable specimens of evolution - but how much do you really know about them? 🐢 Take a second to get to know these marine marvels with our top 5 sea turtle facts 🌊

A sea turtle underwater with one arm up to the side with text reading "5
fun facts about sea turtles".

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 16d

It’s going to be another scorcher few days in London! ☀️ If you're visiting us during this hot weather, please take extra care as our galleries can get quite warm and busy. Explore at your own pace, stay hydrated and speak to a member of staff if you need any help. 🦕

A bronze Diplodocus cast in the gardens.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 20d

A recent study re-examined Liopleurodon fossils and estimated that they ranged from 2.5 to 8.1 metres long. One of the fossils used in this study is currently on display in our Jurassic Oceans exhibition. Find out more about the exhibition 👇 www.nhm.ac.uk/visit/exhibi...

Liopleurodon fossils on display in the Natural History Museum’s Jurassic Ocean exhibition.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 20d

Liopleurodon was a fearsome marine predator that lived during the Jurassic Period. 🌊 It was famously portrayed in the 1999 BBC series Walking with Dinosaurs as reaching lengths of up to 25 metres, but recent estimates suggest it was more likely around 6 metres long.

An illustration of what Liopleurodon may have looked like. It is swimming in the ocean and has four flippers, a short tail and a long head with a row of sharp teeth.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 21d

What do ducks and camels have in common? 🦆🐪 The answer is ‘afoot’ in this week’s #SurprisingScience 😉

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 23d

The Museum will be closed on 9 October 2026 as we are hosting a charity gala. 🦖 We rarely close to the public however, hosting events like this helps us to continue our vital work, including our +350 scientists’ research. We’re sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

A large blue whale skeleton suspended from the ceiling. Under the whale, there’s text saying, ‘The Natural History Museum will be closed on 9 October 2026’. Behind the skeleton, there are three large arched windows and highly decorated architectural details.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 23d

Did you know that there’s a 1,300-year old tree slice in the Natural History Museum? 🌳 Find out more about the giant sequoia in our new series, Natural History Museum Showstoppers. 👇

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 26d

In seahorses, it’s the male who becomes pregnant! Females transfer their eggs into a special brood pouch on the male’s body. The male then fertilises the eggs and carries them for around 25 days before giving birth to over 1000 young! Find out more ⬇️

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 27d

Meet Coelophysis, one of the earliest known dinosaurs! 🦕😮 This small, slender meat-eater had sharp claws and teeth! Have you spotted it in our Dinosaurs gallery? Let us know in the comments! 👇

A dinosaur skeleton with a long neck and tail, displayed in a blue circle on a wall.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 28d

Sturgeon are among Europe’s largest fish, but dam construction, pollution and overfishing have caused populations to collapse across the UK and much of the continent. This new research is an important step towards understanding whether sturgeon could one day return to Britain’s rivers.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 28d

A new study suggests that sturgeon once bred in the UK! 🐟 While sturgeon have been recorded in British waters for centuries, it has remained unclear whether they bred here or were simply passing through to feed. To investigate, researchers combed through newspaper archives and museum collections.

A curator with a sturgeon specimen in the Natural History Museum collection.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· 29d

Even though you may have heard that camels store water in their humps, this isn’t technically true! 💦 In Surprising Science, we find out what these iconic adaptations are really used for!

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· Jul 8

The fossil is of a small marine arthropod called Urokodia that measured just 2–3 cm long and lived during the Early Cambrian. At first glance, it looks very different from the spiders and scorpions that we know today.

An illustration of what Urokodia might have looked like. Its body has multiple segments with many legs underneath and pincer-like fangs at the head.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· Jul 8

Scientists have discovered a 518-million-year-old fossil that has the earliest known evidence of spiders’ fangs! 🕷️ Using X-ray analysis, researchers found two pincer-like limbs emerging just behind the animals’ eyes, which are thought to be precursors of the fangs used by modern spiders.

A fossil of a small arthropod with many sets of legs and small fangs at the head.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· Jul 7

Have you ever spotted Sophie in the Museum? Discover more about Stegosaurus in our new series, Natural History Museum Showstoppers. 🦕🐋

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· Jul 3

As part of the study, researchers examined DNA from historical pangolin specimens, including one held at the Natural History Museum that was described in 1836! When first described, the specimen was called Manis aurita, which is now the official name of the species.

Multiple pangolin specimens in a drawer in the Field Museum’s collections.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· Jul 3

Pangolin scales are often the only part of the animal found in marketplaces, making it difficult to identify which species they came from. But DNA analysis can help identify which species are being targeted and pinpoint poaching hotspots, focusing conservation efforts where they are needed most.

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· Jul 3

The pangolins’ iconic pinecone-shaped scales have made them targets of wildlife trafficking. New DNA analysis has revealed that populations of Chinese pangolins living in the Himalayan foothills are actually a separate species. This distinction could be vital in helping to stop illegal poaching!

Natural History Museum, London@nhm-london· Jul 2

Just a moment of appreciation for our Minerals gallery! 😍💎 From sparkling gems to striking minerals from around the world, there’s so much to explore! Did you know that the specimens are displayed in original 19th century oak cabinets?