Red rivers are the most colorful members of the pig family. They are an adaptable species found across west and central Africa.
Many will also have a white facial mask.
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
What animal can rotate its head 180 degrees, has ears that function like satellites and marks its territory (and members of its social group) with urine? Meet our southern lesser galago brothers, Mopani and Damara!
The pair arrived in February and have settled into their new digs at the Small Mammal
Guinea pigs are rodents that were first domesticated in 5,000 B.C. The domesticated species, Cavia porcellus, is most likely derived from the Andean Cavia tschudii (or montane guinea pig), found in Peru, highland Bolivia, northwestern Argentina, and northeastern Chile.
Guinea pigs have no tails.
The secret to salamanders’ survival may be in their slimy secretions. Scientists at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute are swabbing salamanders in Shenandoah, looking for disease-fighting microbes that live in the mucus on their skin.
susceptible to chytrid, while others may come into contact with the fungus and have
The ruddy turnstone is a short legged, chunky sandpiper with an extensive wintering range. Turnstones are known for sticking their bills under stones, pebbles and shells, and flipping them over to find food.
Nonbreeding adults have a brown feather pattern.
The sliminess on amphibians is more than just goop—it’s how these animals survive. A scientist and intern from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute’s Center for Conservation Genomics explains.
Have you ever wondered what the difference between a reptile and amphibian is?
This peculiar-looking canine uses its exceptional hearing to hunt for termites and beetles — here are some more fun facts about the species.
Notably, they have exceptionally large ears, making them look almost like giant bats
American wigeons are small ducks that are equally at home on land and in the water. Loud, gregarious and distinctive, more than 2.5 million wigeons live in North America.
Fact Sheet Conservation Physical Description Compact ducks, male wigeons have
