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
Asian small-clawed otters are the smallest of all 13 otter species and are native to Asia. Well adapted to life in the water, these social, intelligent animals spend a majority of their time on land.
They have sensitive digital pads that help them feel under rocks or in murky water
Sea lions are large, gregarious mammals found along the western coast of North America. In the water, their torpedo-shaped bodies can reach speeds of 25 to 30 mph!
They also have a more slender neck than some species and a dog-like head.
They’re sweet, outgoing and always in the mood for food. Meet Scarlet, Xena and Taizong, the new red pandas at our Front Royal, Virginia, campus!
They also have something in common with squid!
Researchers at the Zoo found higher fiber and lower sugar diets had a range of health benefits for primates in human care.
It turns out monkeys have to, too!
There’s a new, adorable face at Kids’ Farm—an 11-month-old Hereford calf named Willow! Over the past few weeks, she has been frolicking around the barnyard with Hereford heifer Rose and Holstein calf Magnolia (a.k.a. Maggie). Get to know the Zoo’s newest calf in this Q&A with animal keeper Nikki Maticic.
As their nickname implies, beef cattle have been bred and selected primarily for
Crash into May with black rhinos! Dr. Francesca Vitali is a wildlife veterinarian and Morris Animal Foundation postdoctoral fellow with the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s Global Health Program. She is currently working with our Smithsonian partners in Kenya to help conserve Eastern black rhino populations.
Rhinos have been on this planet for about 60 million years.
One of the world’s largest land tortoises, Aldabra tortoises can reach sizes of up to 550 pounds and ages of up to 150 years old. They are native to Aldabra Island, one of the Seychelles northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean.
The males have a concave plastron (belly shell) that aids in mating.
