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.
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.
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.
Cattle are important domesticated animals that provide meat and milk. Kids‘ Farm is home to a polled Hereford heifer named Rose and a Holstein heifer named Magnolia.
Unlike humans, cattle have panoramic vision, which means they can see almost all
The cool new couple at Gibbon Ridge are smart, sweet and specialize in singing duets — meet siamangs Adi and Guntur!
Only male siamangs have a “genital tuft” in the spot where a tail would be.
The Zoo is taking precautions against the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI.
In mild cases, animals might seem to be breathing heavily or have trouble breathing
Channel catfish live in freshwater rivers, lakes, streams and ponds throughout North America. They are bottom-dwelling, opportunistic carnivores.
Fact Sheet Conservation Physical Description Channel catfish typically have
Poison frogs, also called poison arrow and poison dart frogs, are the most brightly colored frogs in the world. They live in wet, tropical forests in Central and South America where their diet contributes to the toxins they secrete through their skin.
Poison frogs are known for their beautiful colors, and amphibians that have toxic
