10 Nov 2022 The fishy work of WA Museum’s fish scientistDr Glenn Moore is the Curator of Fish at WA Museum and the State-recognised authority for the identification and taxonomy of marine and freshwater fish. He is regularly involved in scientific projects to grow our understanding of Western Australian biodiversity and biogeography. In his role as Curator, Glenn is responsible for maintaining the quality, documentation and development of the State’s fish collection, which includes almost 200,000 specimens from around the world. Read more News Kasper Johansen
12 Oct 2022Life as an Aquatic Zoologist: The important work of Dr Lisa KirkendaleHave you ever wondered what interesting facts slimy aquatic snails and underwater creatures can tell us about the world they live in? Also known as “molluscs”, these gastropods are the second largest phylum (or group) of invertebrate animals in the world. Although some can measure just a few millimetres, these mighty molluscs are powerhouses of information and provide important insights into aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.Read more News Kasper Johansen
21 Sep 2022September school holidays across all WA Museum sites Stuck for ideas on how to entertain the kids these school holidays? Then you’ve come to the right place. Our holiday programs are jam-packed with fun activities to suit kids of every age - even the grown-up ones! With museums spread across the state, we’ve got you covered with everything from free events to drop and leave programs to exciting exhibitions and so much more. Our six locations include: WA Museum Boola BardipRead more News Kasper Johansen
16 Sep 2022WA Museum fieldwork research on pseudoscorpions, assassin bugs and bandicoots on Wunambal Gaambera CountryA recent fieldtrip with Wunambal Gaambera Aboriginal Corporation (WGAC), saw some of our scientists carry out exciting research on Wunambal Gaambera Country in the far north of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Joining the fieldtrip from the Western Australian Museum was Head of Terrestrial Zoology and Curator of Arachnids and Myriapods Dr Mark Harvey, Curator of Mammalogy Dr Kenny Travouillon, Curator of Entomology Dr Nikolai Tatarnic, and Technical Officer Jenelle Ritchie.Read more News Yoshika Kon
14 Sep 2022Precious black cowrie shell donated to WA Museum Boola BardipIn a generous act of philanthropy, an incredibly rare and valuable black cowrie shell found in Western Australian waters was recently gifted to the Western Australian Museum’s Aquatic Zoology department. Hailing from the Mollusc phylum, the Leporicypraea geographica rewa form rovae cowrie shell was found off the coast of Exmouth in a 24-metre-deep sea sponge garden. More commonly known as sea snails, cowries are nocturnal by nature, living in underwater caves and hiding under rocks during the day and feeding on coral and algae at night.Read more News Yoshika Kon
17 Aug 2022Seven pseudoscorpion species believed to be new to science discoveredSeven pseudoscorpion species believed to be new to science have been discovered by our Head of Department and Curator (Arachnids and Myriapods) Dr Mark Harvey on a Bush Blitz expedition in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia. The discovery was made at Charnley River Station, an Australian Wildlife Conservancy property, and at Wunaamin Conservation Park.Read more News Yoshika Kon
12 Aug 2022Herpetology – the study of amphibians and reptiles in action at the Museum of GeraldtonAs part of National Science Week 2022, the Museum of Geraldton are featuring three Western Australian herpetologists for Public Talk: Wildlife Research in Action on Wednesday 17 August. Herpetology is the study of amphibians and reptiles, and new and exciting discoveries within the Western Australian Museum Collections and Research continue to be made every year.Read more News Yoshika Kon
5 Aug 2022Rare Ruby seadragon donated to the WA Museum It is not every day you stumble across the rare Ruby seadragon but for one Denmark local, Annika Engstrom, the perfectly intact specimen was a lucky find in March 2022. Annika spotted the colourful creature on the sand directly in front of the Denmark Surf Club and caught the eye of Bernie Wong who was on lifeguard patrol and who instantly recognised it as a Ruby seadragon. The Ruby seadragon (Phyllopteryx dewysea) was discovered and identified as a new species in 2015 by a team that included the WA Museum’sRead more News Yoshika Kon
20 Apr 2022Protection of Cultural Objects on Loan (PCOL) – Dinosaurs of PatagoniaThe information below describes the objects borrowed by the Western Australian Museum for the Dinosaurs of Patagonia exhibition from the Museo Paleontologico Egidio Feruglio. Dinosaurs of Patagonia will be on display at the Western Australian Museum Boola Bardip, in the Perth Cultural Centre, Perth WA 6000, from the 2nd of July 2022 until the 23rd of October 2022.Read more Article Katherine Jeffries
16 Mar 2022Stunning photographs of the natural world to go on show at the Museum of the GoldfieldsThe Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year exhibition will open at the Museum of the Goldfields this Saturday, 19 March. The annual Australian Geographic Nature Photographer of the Year competition celebrates the unique beauty of the flora, fauna and landscapes of Australia, New Zealand, Antarctica and New Guinea bioregions through the lenses of professional, emerging and junior photographers. Every year the finalists and winners of the competition are featured in an exhibition produced by the South Australian Museum.Read more News Yoshika Kon
13 Mar 2019WA and UK researchers discover new species of extinct Australian mammal A team of researchers led by the Western Australian Museum and the Natural History Museum in London has discovered a new species of very small, incredibly fast extinct Australian Pig-footed Bandicoot. Dr Kenny Travouillon, Curator of Mammalogy at the WA Museum, said the discovery of Chaeropus yirratji is a breakthrough for science as little was known about the mammal previously.Read more News Hillary Henry
9 May 2018Five new species of lizards discovered in the Kimberley, Pilbara and Northern TerritoryFive new species of lizards from the Kimberley, Pilbara, and Northern Territory were recently described by a scientific team led by Western Australian Museum curator of herpetology Dr Paul Doughty. Dr Doughty said the descriptions include three new gecko species of the genus Gehyra, from the north-west Kimberley region: the Southern Spotted Gecko (Gehyra pseudopunctata); the Kimberley Granular-toed Gecko (Gehyra granulum); the Northern Kimberley Gecko (Gehyra pluraporosa).Read more News Flora Perrella
15 Apr 2017The BilbyMacrotis lagotis This grey to cream furred marsupial has a long, pointed nose, large ears, and a half black, half white tail. A male of the species can weigh up to 2.5 kilograms. As a nocturnal animal, the Bilby spends the night foraging for insects, seeds, bulbs, fruit, and fungi. During the day, a bilby will retreat to a burrow that may be up to three metres long, often constructed beneath a shrub, termite mound or spinifex tussock.Read more Article Western Australian Museum
27 Sep 2016Three New Gecko SpeciesRecent WA Museum-led research has described three new gecko species – the smallest geckos to be found in Australia. Geckos are a type of lizard found in warm climates all over the world. There are about 1500 species of gecko worldwide, most of which are nocturnal and lack eyelids. The Cape Range Clawless Gecko (Crenadactylus tuberculatus) is Australia’s smallest gecko, reaching just over 4cm in length, including the tail.Read more Article Western Australian Museum
20 Sep 2016No Dissection NecessaryEarlier this year, Western Australian Museum Technical Officer (Molluscs) Corey Whisson and fellow scientist Dr Abraham Breure published a research article called "A new species of Bothriuembryon (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Bothriembryontidae) from south-eastern Western Australia" in ZooKeys.Read more Article Western Australian Museum
14 Jun 2016Western Swamp TortoiseDPAW’s Threatened Fauna: An Overview – Western Swamp Tortoise Pseudemydura umbrina Western Australia’s Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPAW) keeps an extensive list of threatened fauna in line with the Wildlife Conservation Act. On this list, 26 reptiles are listed as “fauna that is rare or likely to become extinct.” This includes the Western Swamp Tortoise, otherwise known as the Short-necked Tortoise, or Western Swamp Turtle.Read more Article Western Australian Museum
12 May 2016Wedge-tailed EagleScientific Name Aquila audax Other names Eaglehawk. Waalitj (Noongar name). Description A huge, very dark eagle with long wedge-shaped tail, long fingered wings and completely feathered legs. Australia’s largest bird of prey and one of the largest eagles in the world.Read more Photo Galleries Western Australian Museum
29 Feb 2016Behind the Scenes: Mammal Gallery DecantThe Mammal Gallery decant from the Western Australian Museum - Perth to the Collections and Research Centre (CRC) at Welshpool has been a huge undertaking for all involved. It allowed Museum staff the opportunity to update records and complete conservation work on the precious specimens. Soula Veyradier, Manager, Western Australian Museum - Perth, said that the decant was a unique opportunity to work with the animals outside their display cases. Read more Photo Galleries Western Australian Museum
25 Jan 2016The Mammal GalleryThe Western Australian Museum are getting ready to build a New Museum for Western Australia, and an initial step in this process is to decant the thousands of specimens and objects from the WA Museum – Perth into safe storage at the Collections and Research Centre (CRC) in Welshpool. This article explores the history and decant of the Mammal Gallery, with insights from Western Australian Museum Mammology Dr Kenny Travouillon.Read more Photo Galleries Western Australian Museum
18 Jan 2016ChuditchDPAW’s Threatened Fauna: An Overview – Chuditch / Western Quoll Dasyurus geoffroii Western Australia’s Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPAW) keeps an extensive list of threatened fauna in line with the Wildlife Conservation Act. On this list, 44 mammals are listed as “fauna that is rare or likely to become extinct.” This includes the Chuditch (Noongar name), otherwise known as the Western Quoll, or Western Native Cat.Read more Article Western Australian Museum