The smallest of the three white geese species in North America, Ross’s goose is known for its tendency to form flocks of hundreds or even thousands of individuals—sometimes mixing with snow geese.
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Wood ducks are primarily found in eastern North America, as well as some parts of western North America. They have crested feathers on their heads. Males have iridescent green, blue and purple feathers, as well as two white lines that run from the bill around their red eyes to the back of their head.
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Tall birds with strong legs, wild turkeys are fast fliers and residents of the eastern United States. Wild turkeys were domesticated in Mexico more than 2,000 years ago, although many members of the species remain wild. At the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C., visitors can see a breed of domestic turkey (which is the same species as the wild turkey) called the standard bronze turkey.
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The Smallwood’s anole is a green lizard with blue spots. It is native to Cuba, where it spends time hunting the trees for insects, grubs and frogs.
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A familiar sparrow that can be found throughout North America, song sparrows are often seen singing cheerfully while perched on a tree branch or telephone wire. The species is present in most of their range year-round, although northern populations migrate to the southern United States and Mexico for the winter.
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The tomistoma, also called the false gharial or false gavial, is an endangered freshwater crocodilian with a characteristically long, narrow snout.
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This tiny, yellowish-green songbird sings a three-note series of accelerating chips. Despite its name, these warblers do not breed in Tennessee, and only pass through the state as they embark on their seasonal migration to their breeding grounds in Canada’s boreal forest.
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The Virginia opossum is the only marsupial found north of Mexico. It has a long, hairless, prehensile tail, a robust body and short legs with sharp claws.
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Frogs, toads, salamanders and newts are vanishing at an unprecedented rate. Smithsonian scientists are working to save amphibians through projects focused in Panama and Appalachia.
is home to more salamander species than anywhere else
The small, critically endangered golden mantella frog is found only in a tiny, remote area of Madagascar. These frogs are bright orange, yellow or red and have adhesive pads on their fingers and toes.
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