16 May 2011New Leatherback TurtleLeatherback Turtles are listed as Critically Endangered, and the largest of the sea turtles measuring up to 3m. They breed in tropical waters with some animals travelling down the coast of WA to the southern ocean to feed on jelly fish. They have a unique body structure that helps them to maintain a higher body temperature than other reptiles, allowing them to endure the cold temperatures of the southern ocean. Populations of this species are threatened due to the taking of eggs for food by humans on their nesting beaches, and are accidentally caught as bycatch in commercial fisheries.Read more Blog entry Western Australian Museum
29 Apr 2011Cockatoo Care - Carnaby's CockatooThis gallery shows selection of photography of the magnificent Carnaby's Black Cockatoo photographed by Tony Kirkby in the South-West of Western Australia. Read more Photo Galleries Western Australian Museum
28 Apr 2011Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo GalleryThis gallery shows selection of photography of the magnificent Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoo photographed by Tony Kirkby in the South-West of Western Australia.Read more Photo Galleries Western Australian Museum
12 Apr 2011Cockatoo Care - Baudin's CockatooThis gallery shows selection of photography of the magnificent Baudin's Cockatoo photographed by Tony Kirkby in the South-West of Western Australia.Read more Photo Galleries Western Australian Museum
14 Mar 2011An ark of discovery: Evolution of fauna on the Houtman AbrolhosThe fauna of the Houtman Abrolhos islands off Geraldton has evolved in isolation on many of the 170 islands during the last six to eight thousand years and provides a fascinating laboratory to study adaptive patterns in many species. Read more Video Danny Murphy
15 Dec 2010Tales of Fight or FlightClaire Stevenson Technical Officer, Terrestrial Zoology European settlement and the resulting change in habitat have influenced the diversity of birds in WA’s Southwest. Native and introduced species alike have both thrived, failed to adapt or been brought to the edge of extinction as a result of these changes. Join Claire Stevenson as she looks back at the villains and heroes, victims and survivors and other factors in avian diversity in the Southwest over the last 200 years. Read more Video Danny Murphy
19 Oct 2010Tales of Horny Beetles, Truffles and Gigantic EggsDr Terry Houston Curator of Insects, Terrestrial Zoology Providing food for other animals, recycling dead organic material, controlling plant growth and pollinating flowers are all in a day’s work for the diverse insect world. Fungi also have important ecological roles but often need the assistance of insects to get them where they need to go. Join Dr Terry Houston as he outlines his studies of the truffle-eating ‘earth-borer’ beetles and their surprising biology. Read more Video Danny Murphy
14 Sep 2010Creatures of the night: WA’s frogs and geckosDr Paul Doughty Curator of Herpetology, Terrestrial Zoology Recent research into the two strictly nocturnal groups of frogs and geckos have revealed more diversity than previously thought. Join Dr Paul Doughty as he explores basic biology including mating calls of frogs and the feet of geckos, and view some of the first images of recent discoveries of these exciting new species. Read more Video Western Australian Museum
3 Aug 2010Seabirds of Western AustraliaRon Johnstone Curator of Ornithology, Terrestrial Zoology Seabirds are great bio-indicators of the marine environment from the equator to the poles. The Indian Ocean is the third largest ocean covering 20% of the Earth's surface. Over the past 40 years there have been dynamic changes in the distributions, status and abundance of many of the seabirds occurring in Western Australia and the eastern Indian Ocean region including Indonesia, Christmas and Cocos-Keeling Islands, the Timor Sea, the Southern Ocean and the sub-Antarctic.Read more Video Western Australian Museum
Cockatoo CareDepartmental resources | Updated 1 decade agoCockatoo Care was introduced in September 2001 as a joint initiative of the Water Corporation and the Western Australian Museum. The objectives of the program have been to research the distribution and ecology of Carnaby's, Baudin's and Forest Red-tailed Black Cockatoos and threats to their survival, and to implement measures to encourage the conservation of these birds. This has been through habitat enhancement, feral bee research and community education and involvement. More information
Instructions for Specimen Submissions & Requests for IdentificationDepartmental resources | Updated 9 months agoHow to submit your specimens to the WA Museum Terrestrial Vertebrates department. Identifications & requests for information Specimens for identification may be handed in at the Collections and Research Centre (Western Australian Museum - Welshpool), or any of our regional branches. Please indicate if you would like to be notified of the identification and provide contact details. Our staff will respond as soon as possible with the requested identification or information.More information
Instructions for Specimen Loans for ResearchersDepartmental resources | Updated 9 months agoHow to request specimens and tissues for research from the WA Museum Terrestrial Vertebrates department. Loans Loan of specimens are available to researchers and students for a temporary period. Loans are at the discretion of the Curator for that department. We will send the requested material to your state museum where you can view the specimens. Please contact the relevant curator for loans. Tissue LoansMore information