From reptiles and amphibians to fish, birds and mammals, meet the animals at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.
House Yellow-rumped warbler Bird House Yellow-spotted Amazon
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.
Native Habitat Matamata turtles are found throughout the Amazon in northern South
Candace Stenzel is a regional conservation specialist for the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center’s Shorebird Science and Conservation Collective. As part of these efforts, Stenzel serves as the liaison between the Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center and various land management agencies and shorebird initiatives to help translate shorebird tracking and survey data into on-the-ground conservation actions.
While in graduate school, Stenzel spent time in the Peruvian Amazon studying saki
Discover animals, habitats and conservation through engaging virtual programs with a Zoo educator.
Explore the Rainforest Fly, leap and swim along on an adventure through the Amazon
One fish, two fish, red-blue Peru tetra fish. In November 2018, Smithsonian researchers spent two weeks in Peru counting and identifying fish. In this photo essay, see some of the animals they discovered.
they collect could help protect the aquatic animals that call this part of the Amazon
Dr. Abra is one of only a handful of road ecologists working in Brazil—a place where the ecological threat of roads is deeper than almost anywhere on the planet. As a biologist, researcher, and entrepreneur, she uses her skills to develop alternative mitigation measures for Brazilian wildlife on highways and railways, aiming to promote biodiversity conservation, increase human safety, and generate technological innovations in Brazil and other tropical countries.
canopy bridge designs for mitigating the fragmentation impacts of roads in the Amazon
Catch the latest news about our 1.5-year-old western lowland gorilla, Moke, from primate keeper Carolina Powell.
Image: Fernanda’s team has built 30 canopy bridges in the Amazon so far.
When a team of scientists couldn’t visit a forest to conduct research, they did it remotely, based on information made available in biodiversity databases.
In terms of biodiversity, the Atlantic Forest is second only to the Amazon rainforest
Slow down with Smithsonian’s National Zoo’s three southern two-toed sloths. Keeper Kara Ingraham works with Athena and Vlad in the Small Mammal House, and keeper Denny Charlton tends to Howie in Amazonia. Find out what it takes to care for these unique animals!
I’ve been to the Amazon forest. Amazonia mimics it astonishingly.
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