Cuckoos are extremely secretive birds and difficult to spot. Researchers are developing a tool, using remote sound recorders and artificial intelligence, to help detect them.
has caught the attention of conservationists, and groups across the Western U.S. have
When animal keepers introduced Andean bears Billie Jean and Quito earlier this spring, it seemed that love was in the air. Or, was it hormones? To discover how hormones can affect a bear’s behavior during breeding season, keeper Sara Colandrea has teamed up with Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute research fellow Natalia Prado. Together, they hope to crack the code of Andean bear reproduction and help other zoos produce bouncing baby bears.
Since 2005, only nine cubs have been born and survived to adulthood in the North
Their hobbies include eating, snuggling and snoozing. Follow your nose to the Small Mammal House and meet our new striped skunk brothers, Pigpen and Sauerkraut!
People often have a fear of being sprayed by skunks.
Try not to get ’swamped‘ with these bite-sized facts about American alligators and their crocodilian cousins.
Crocodiles have long, thin snouts with pointy, V-shaped ends.
The beaver is one of North America’s greatest ecosystem engineers and conservation success stories, and we are thrilled to welcome a second beaver to the American Trail!
They have very strong front teeth, which help with chewing and eating wood.
Nov. 29 is World Anteater Day. Celebrate by getting to know one of the remarkable members of the anteater family: the tamandua!
Tamanduas have incredibly long, sticky tongues.
Get the answers to your most internet-searched questions about orangutans.
Why do orangutans have big faces?
Smithsonian scientists were the first in the world to successfully cryopreserve coral and continue to advance the field of research to protect the world’s coral reefs.
To date, scientists have placed sperm or stem cells from 16 species of coral from
The silver arowana (or arawana) is a freshwater fish native to the floodplains of the Amazon. It has a long body covered in large, pearly-silver scales. Large dorsal and anal fins extend down its body to the tail, and two barbels extend from the tip of its lower jaw.
They have dorsal and anal fins that are almost fused with the caudal fin.
On March 13, the newly renovated Bird House’s doors will flap open, welcoming guests with a chorus of chirps, tweets and quacks. Yes, quacks! Get to know the 11 lucky duck species in the Bird House from animal keeper Jen Ferraro.
While visitors will have a chance to see and hear ducks throughout the Bird House
