June 2011
Monthly Archive: June 2011
The Mammals Strike Back!
After our recent post about mouse-eating frogs, Burton Lim of the mammalogy department, one of the ROM’s bat experts, decided to fight back for the mammals. Behold Trachops cirrhosus, the frog-eating bat!
From the Field: The Tell Madaba Archaeological Project… Week 2
By Daniel Kwan, Gallery Facilitator and Volunteer
ROMWalks: Coming soon to a neighbourhood near you!
Every time you turn a corner in Toronto, you discover another venerable stone building resplendent with arches, turrets, gables, or statues perched in a niche. Some are nestled between the encroaching skyscrapers of the banking district, others sit proudly on their original estate. The heritage houses, churches, government and university buildings, even the industrial areas, are still brimming with rich history – all have fascinating stories to tell of life in Toronto’s past.
Five Questions with Krishna
Submitted by Netta Kornberg, Intern with the Institute for Contemporary Culture.
From the Field: The Tell Madaba Archaeological Project…Week 1
By Daniel Kwan, Gallery Facillitator and Volunteer
At the precise moment that this blog posts is being written, I am sitting in the comfort of the locally run Ayola Cafe in the city of Madaba, Jordan. You’re probably wondering why I am writing this blog post from Jordan. The answer is simple, I’m an archaeologist!
I think I have bedbugs, what should I do?
In the months ahead, we will look at some of the critters that share our spaces. We hope you will discover how to identify some of the insects and other arthropods that share your home and better understand these amazing creatures. The first bug we will examine are bed bugs (Cimex lectularius).
Due to the increase of bed bugs in Toronto over the past 10 years, ROM Entomology often receives questions from the public about these pests. However, please note that there are many types of insects found in homes and most of them are not bed bugs!
Two thumbs up to outstanding documentaries!
Can’t make it to the ROM? Make some popcorn, pick up one of these award-winning documentaries related to our current exhibitions and upcoming programs, and have a movie date with the ROM in your own livingroom!
Touched by Water, a documentary by Tamás Wormser, examines bathing rituals and our relationship with water worldwide. It was screened at the ROM this week as part of the day-long Sacred Waters Forum.
How do you hang a floor on the wall?
Today, we’re excited to present a sneak peek of the installation of the mosaic floor panels in the ROM’s new Joey and Toby Tanenbaum Gallery of Byzantium, opening July 1, 2011.

Hungry Like the Frog
Deep in the darkest depths of the ROM’s herpetology department lives a miniature but fearsome predator: the Pacman frog. Yes, you read that correctly: the Pacman frog, or Ceratophrys ornata to those who study him and his voracious ways.
His name is Gracie, and he’s 17 years old (not bad for an amphibian!). To give you an idea of the small size and large appetite of this capable predator, we snapped some shots of him having lunch.