Discover the Wonders of Mammals Past and Present During Special Museum Event at Uconn Storrs

Storrs, Ct — Museum Days always showcase a variety of specimens, and this event is no different. Mega Mammal Day will feature exhibits of mammal skulls, taxidermy, teaching skins, and fossils, from the very tiny to the larger than life. Species from around the world and right in your own backyard will be represented, from a fossil of extinct giant beaver teeth to the touchable pelt of today’s common North American Beaver. The Connecticut State Museum of Natural History's Mega Mammal Day will reveal the surprising biodiversity of our small state, and how the animals found here relate to their relatives around the globe and back through time.

A main focus of the exhibits will be on how skull shape and teeth impact diet. Games and displays will talk about what can be learned about different mammal behavior by comparing the shapes (what scientists call “morphology”) of their bodies, bones and fur.

Besides their teeth, another distinct morphological (or physical) feature of mammals that will be emphasized is their headgear—antlers, horns, and ossicones (headgear that is almost completely unique to giraffes!). Participants will be able to compare the antlers of old and young deer, see how horns are part of a cow’s skull, and stand next to one of New England’s largest taxidermy moose.

Visitors will have opportunities to touch and feel the bones and fur of familiar animals they might have never had the opportunity to see up close, while also viewing items that rarely go on display.

Some iconic specimens on view portions of a preserved mastodon skeleton that was discovered right here in Connecticut. The Pope Mastodon was discovered in Farmington in 1913 and is the most well-preserved specimen from Connecticut and New England. Carbon 14 dating indicates that this specimen is more recent than expected, pushing forward the presence of mastodons in this region. Because of how rare and fragile the skeleton fragments are, it does not come out of storage often, so this is a very special one day experience!

To complement the mastodon fragments and other fossils on display, guests will be able to stand side-by-side with extinct mammals that lived in the region not that long ago through life-size digital recreations of three of New England’s largest extinct mammals will be installed on the walls. State Archaeologist Dr. Sarah Sportman will also be on-site discussing how archaeologists use the mammal artifacts they find to learn more about their relationships with people from the past.

Finally, visitors will learn about the many ways to identify the signs that mammals leave in the woods, and the different ways to track them, including looking for footprints, identifying scat (also known as poop!), and using camera traps. Follow animal tracks around the exhibits to identify the scat of animals on display—plus be recorded as an “animal observation” on a real camara trap in action!

Along with the exhibits, there will be scavenger hunts, crafts, and games for all ages. These are co-sponsored with groups from across campus and the broader community. We will have a spinning demonstration with wool from the Industrial Design Department’s Materials Library. Guests can enjoy some milk and cookies courtesy of Mountain Dairy Farm and Big Y while learning about how dairy cows provide milk to UConn and beyond. Our friends at the Ballard Institute and Museum of Puppetry will be there with a mammal-inspired mask-making workshop AND folks can check out books (or get a library card) from the Mansfield Public Library on site.

Saturday July 26, 2025 in the Gant Science Light Court at UConn Storrs, on N. Eagleville Rd. 1pm-5pm.

If you require an accommodation to participate in this event, please contact the CSMNH at 860-486-4460 or CSMNHinfo@uconn.edu by Wednesday July 23, 2025.

The event is free and open to the public!

Visit https://csmnh.uconn.edu/programs/ for more information.