The matamata is a South American turtle with a striking appearance. Its carapace, or shell, is rough and knobby, and its long neck has skin fringes, bumps and ridges. The matamata turtle’s large, flat head features a wide mouth and a long, snorkel-like snout.
Females build their nests in vegetation near the edge of a forest.
Alligator snapping turtles are the largest freshwater turtles in the world. Their heavy heads, strong jaws, hooked beak and spiked shells give them a prehistoric appearance.
Females then travel inland to dig nests in the sand.
Asia Trail is home to the some of the largest continent’s most unique species: sloth bears, red pandas, Asian small-clawed otters, clouded leopards and fishing cats.
To eat, a sloth bear uses its lips like a vacuum as it sucks insects from their nests
The Rüppell’s griffon vulture is the world’s highest-flying bird. This critically endangered species is vital to Africa’s ecology, flying long distances to eat carrion and keep ecosystems healthy.
Females will often take sticks from other nests, while males arrange them into their
The northern pine snake is a powerful, nonvenomous constrictor found in North America. With a maximum length of 6 feet, it is one of the largest snakes on the continent.
avoid uncomfortable temperatures and predators, search for prey and build their nests
The electric eel is a knifefish and is more closely related to catfish and carp than to other eel families. This electric fish can generate up to 800 volts of electricity!
Males construct nests made of saliva and guard the larvae until the rainy season
She’s a sweet-natured, eager explorer with a taste for juicy wax worms. Meet Chiquita, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s new tamandua!
have a 16-inch long, sticky tongue that allows them to navigate ant and termite nests
From flamingo courtships to weekly weigh-ins for the African lions, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is buzzing with beastly activity behind the scenes!
provide the Zoo’s orangutans with hay, sheets and other materials to build their nests
The Bird House exhibit invites Zoo visitors to soar into the fascinating world of North American shorebirds, waterfowl and songbirds.
even cobwebs—so the birds can pick and choose how to assemble and decorate their nests
Northern snakehead fish are native to China, Southern Siberia and North Korea and are an invasive species in North America.
Snakeheads create large floating nests for their eggs.
