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All France Nantes Nantes' Natural History Museum
AO Edited

Nantes' Natural History Museum

Home to the "Rat King" of Nantes and other wonders of the natural world.

Nantes, France

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Armadillo in kit  
The “Rat King”  
Rat King   Wikimedia
Hippopotamus skull  
Simians  
Zoology main room  
Taxidermy in construction  
One of many weird birds  
Coelacanthe, the ‘prehistoric’ fish  
Inside a whale’s skeleton  
Taxidermy specimen of a resplendent quetzal, a species native to Mexico and Central America   melina1965
A (live) mexican water moccassin snake at the museum   melina1965
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About

Created at the end of the 1800s, this beautiful museum has a rich collection of both minerals and animals (skeletons and taxidermy) and a nice vivarium. The collection of bird taxidermy is especially rich with some rare and fascinating specimens. Among the rarities is a hidden treasure — an extremely rare and even mythical phenomenon known as the "Rat King".

It is said in folklore that sometimes a group of rats can get their tails knotted together in an inextricable way. They will spend the rest of their lives joined together, sometimes even getting their skin welded together, becoming a kind of monstrous single entity dependent on its community for food.

Most reported cases have occurred in Germany, and only a handful of cases can be found in museums, including this one consisting of nine rats preserved in an alcohol bath. This phenomenon is unexplained and the specimens are often considered hoaxes and belonging to the field of cryptozoology.

As well as dead specimens, the museum also holds a collection of live animals including several very cool venomous and constrictor snakes. 

Pictures and filming are allowed in this museum.

Related Tags

Cryptozoology Natural History Museums Museums Taxidermy Natural History Animals

Know Before You Go

It's not allowed to bring any luggage (bigger bags/backpacks) to the museum. There are no lockers and they won't let you leave the bag in the ticket office. Be sure to leave any luggage somewhere else before visiting.

Community Contributors

Added By

Quentin

Edited By

hrnick, Monsieur Mictlan

  • hrnick
  • Monsieur Mictlan

Published

January 19, 2010

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Sources
  • "Rat King" article on Wikipedia :
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat_king_%28folklore%29
Nantes' Natural History Museum
12 rue Voltaire
Nantes, 44000
France
47.212333, -1.56463
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