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.
Matamatas have extremely poor eyesight, but a number of other sensory aids allow
Cuban crocodiles are one of the most endangered species of crocodile and are found only in Cuba. These small crocodiles are strong swimmers. They walk and leap with ease and are equally at home in water and on land.
Fact Sheet Conservation Physical Description Cuban crocodiles have short, broad
National Bison Day is the first Saturday in November and the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute has a big reason to celebrate these iconic animals! Wallow in the autumn leaves with the Zoo’s bison, Lucy and Gally, and animal keeper Regina Bakely, as she shares her stories and the institution’s history of caring for American bison.
November 04, 2022 How to Care for American Bison Regina Bakely Have you herd?
Get the answers to frequently asked questions about giant panda Bei Bei’s departure from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo.
Will the public have a chance to say goodbye to Bei Bei before he leaves?
American bison are North America’s largest terrestrial animals. Millions once roamed the grasslands and prairies of the Great Plains, but today the bison population survives primarily in conservation herds.
Both male and female bison have a single set of short, sharply pointed, hollow horns
A sloth bear cub and a seal pup by any other name would still be as sweet, but our keepers chose the perfect names for them. Our sloth bear cub is named Remi and our seal pup is named Rona!
Asia Trail keepers who have been hand-rearing our sloth bear cub chose the name Remi
As the primate team celebrates Moke’s second birthday, keeper Alex Reddy reflects on the western lowland gorilla’s growing independence, bold personality and training triumphs.
Moke will investigate aspects of his habitat that other gorillas have not visited
Ring-tailed lemurs are named for the 13 alternating black and white bands that adorn their tails. Unlike most other lemurs, ringtails spend 40 percent of their time on the ground, moving quadrupedally along the forest floor.
They have white bellies.
This holiday season, the Zoo invites you to give thanks to a beloved American icon—but not at the dining room table. Learn about how Bird House keeper Jen Ferraro helps care for the Zoo’s resident turkeys.
Many heritage breeds have origins tracing back hundreds of years.
Two mysterious and secretive residents recently arrived at the Reptile Discovery Center: Iranian fat-tailed geckos! Get the scoop on this rad brother-sister duo from animal keeper Sara Hasenstab.
Other geckos do not have eyelids, so they can’t blink!
