Object and species identification

• Make sure the animal is in focus.
• Tell us where the animal was found.
• Try and get something (a ruler, pen, coin etc.) in for scale.
• The more photos, the better! Try taking from different angles also, capturing legs, head shape, spines, body, etc.
• Please do not touch or disturb the animals in their habitat as there is a risk of getting bitten. Take the best photos you can without touching, moving or harming the animals.

If you are sending an insect or spider for identification, it will need to be frozen. This is the most humane way to kill them and preserves a lot of their features.

Please note that the Australian Museum does not examine specimens that have been found on/in human skin or hair nor are we able to provide pest control advice. Medical entomology is a different field; please click here for more information.

Any enquiries sent in relating to Medical Entomology will not be answered.

Small insects that cannot be photographed can be swept into a jar, using a paintbrush. Please do not use sticky tape.

Once you capture it in a jar, leave it in the freezer for at least a day before placing the specimen into methylated spirits for a few days.

In a sturdy, sealable container, place some cotton wool at the bottom then place the specimen on top, covered by some more cotton wool. Seal the container shut before placing into a padded postal bag. Make sure you include a letter that has your name, contact details, where and when you collected the specimen.

• Make sure the specimen is in focus and well lit.
• Take multiple photos from different angles.
• Tell us where the specimen was found e.g. on a beach, buried, etc.
• Tell us any interesting characteristics, such as:
  • mass (in grams, if possible);
  • size (in millimetres, if possible);
  • whether it is magnetic; and
  • for minerals, whether it can be scratched.
• Place something next to the specimen for scale.
• For geological specimens, please include a close-up or magnified view of a more interesting part of the specimen to show crystal structure.

If you are sending a geological specimen, wrap up the item and place it into a padded postal bag, remembering to include a letter that has your name, contact details, where and when you collected the specimen.

• Make sure the animal is in focus.
• Send us the highest resolution images.
• Try and take photos from multiple angles to see the different features of the animal (head, ears, feet, tail, etc).
• Tell us the location of where the animal was found.
• Including a scale, such as a ruler or tape measure, in the photo will help us get an idea of size.
• Please do not touch or disturb the animals in their habitat. Take the best photos you can without touching, moving or harming the animals.
  • Please note when identifying frogs: There is a risk of transmitting diseases, so please do not handle them.
  • If you see a frog that looks unusual or isn't moving, find out what you can do to help here.

• Make sure the animal is in focus.
• Send us the highest resolution images.
• Place something in for a scale (ruler, coin, etc.).
• Try and take from multiple angles to see different features.
• Tell us the location of where the animal was found.
• If it was performing an unusual behaviour, try and describe it to us.

Please note that getting a species level identification of these animals is quite difficult, regardless of image quality.