Natural History Galleries

Live from the Bug Room!

Warning: Creepy crawlies, not for the faint of heart.

Ever wondered how the skeletal remains you see in the Museum acquire their gleam? Take a real-time peek - not for the weak of stomach - into the bug room and see nature at work! This sealed, metal-lined, climate controlled room is home to a colony of Skin beetles (Family Dermestidae) whose carnivorous appetite help to clean the bones on display in the Museum.

Today you see the beetles munching on a Pine Grosbeak, a Least Flycatcher, a Black-capped Chickadee and a White-breasted Nuthatch (listed clockwise from top-left).  These specimens they perished after colliding with a building before being donated to the Museum.  Reflective or transparent glass and lights in tall buildings make it difficult for birds to navigate through large cities.

Note: The bugs work most effectively in complete darkness, so this video is streamed using an infrared camera, which results in a black and white picture.

In preparation for the bug’s feast, the skeletons were de-skinned, partially dried, and the muscle and organs removed. Once the flesh has disappeared, the bones are soaked in water for a period. The non-bone material is then scraped off with a scalpel, and each bone is dipped in bleach and meticulously numbered.

The whole skeleton is catalogued before it is put on display, or placed among the specimens in the ROM’s vast collection.

Cannot see the webcam?

The video is best viewed using Windows and Internet Explorer or Firefox.

Internet Explorer:
If you get the message "Axis ActiveX camera Control: The AXIS ActiveX Camera Control, which enables you to view live images streams in Microsoft Internet Explorer, could not be registered on your computer" follow these directions:

1. Click on the message at the top of the web page that reads: "This website wants to install the following add-on: 'AxisCamControl' from Axis CommunicationsAB."

2. Click on "Install Axis" in the dialog box that appears.

3. You will then be prompted to "install" the add-on.

Question:
If you don't get any message on your screen prompting you to install an Active-X component the first time you try to access the Axis Network Camera, click here for an answer.

Firefox:
If you are using Firefox, you will be able to view the webcam without installing ActiveX. You may have to refresh the page to start the video.