Beetles are insects, which means that their body is made up of three parts; a head, a thorax and an abdomen. Antennae are found on the head, and six legs attach to the thorax in the middle. If a beetle has wings for flying, they are usually found protected underneath a hard carapace on the abdomen. Beetles come in many different shapes and sizes. Discover … Continue reading Build a Beetle
Sloth bears live in the tropical forests, scrublands and grasslands of south Asia; countries such as Sri Lanka, Indian and Nepal. They are smaller than brown or polar bears, with long shaggy black fur. Sloth bears are omnivorous and eat a range of fruit, nuts, insects, eggs and plants. They use their long claws to dig into the mounds and nests of ants and termites, … Continue reading Create a sloth bear
While we sleep at night, a world of nocturnal animals are going about their lives outside. Creatures like foxes and mice, owls and badgers and bats and moths tend to sleep or shelter during the day, and search for food at night. There are 18 species of bats in the UK and all of them eat insects. They often catch these insects mid-flight, using echolocation … Continue reading Night-time wildlife mobile
All living things have adapted to surviving successfully within their environments. They have adapted to changes in climate and habitat, as well as the other species that live around them. Some even work with other species to benefit themselves. Human impact has caused a lot of environmental change to happen very quickly. Evolution and adaptation are processes that take a long time to occur, and … Continue reading A Journey through Time and Habitats
Puffins are excellent seabirds, nesting on cliffs and making the most of the ocean by diving into the waves to catch fish in their brightly-coloured beaks. The birds will dig a nesting burrow into the soil if possible, or find a sheltered ledge on the cliff-face to safely lay their eggs. Puffins can be migratory, meaning that they travel to different locations depending on the … Continue reading Flying Puffin craft
Animals in the Arctic are all connected. Sat on top of the world, the Arctic is made up of sea ice surrounded by land. It is very cold, and contains very little plant life. The animals that live there rely on each other for their food and survival in this unique environment. A food chain shows how the animals are related with each other by … Continue reading Create Arctic animal puppets
Just beneath the waves in shallow tropical seas you’ll find a world teeming with life. It’s here that we find coral reefs – colourful habitats where countless creatures live. This Nature Classroom will explore these fascinating ecosystems and how they are being affected by climate change. First we will uncover what corals are, then make a coral reef spinner to explore coral bleaching. We’ll then … Continue reading Our Changing Reef Habitats
Spring is in the air. Birds are nesting, frogspawn is hatching, and insects are buzzing all around. To celebrate, why not try some of our activities all about animal lifecycles, inspired by the collections at the Museum of Zoology. We have arranged these activities by type of animal. Make nests and make a sock puppet to experiment with the colours of chick mouths in the … Continue reading Animal Lifecycles
Museum of Zoology Blog 