Reptiles, amphibians and fishes

Scaly, slimy and slippery, these cold-blooded vertebrates are often overlooked in favour of the more charismatic and well-known birds and mammals. But reptiles, amphibians and fish are just as interesting. Take a look at some monsters of the deep blue sea, and discover a fossil that ‘came back to life’.

Identify reptiles, amphibians and fishes

Ask Museum experts for help identifying reptiles, amphibians and fishes, from frogs and toads in your garden pond to slow worms, snakes and other reptiles.
Hammerhead shark helps investigate sense of smell

Why do sharks have such a good sense of smell? Investigate how a team of scientists used the Museum’s CT scanner to find out.
Life on the reef

Explore the underwater world of the coral reef, home to an immense variety of fish, many of which are strikingly beautiful.
Jaws: The natural history of sharks

Find out about sharks of today and the past, such as the extinct megalodon, one of the most dangerous animals ever to have lived.
Snakes: versatile predators

There are nearly 3,000 species of snakes, found from sea to rainforest to desert. Discover more about their life without limbs.
Living fossils: coelacanths

Read the story of the coelacanth, a fish thought to have died out with the dinosaurs, only to be rediscovered in 1938.
Fish knew first about sex

Fossilised pregnant fish was one of the first animals to have sex. Read more and watch a video.