The panda house is closed to the public beginning today, Sept. 1 to provide quiet for Mei Xiang as she enters the final stages of a pregnancy or pseudopregnancy.
has now had 3 surviving cubs—the panda team is still waiting to see if she will have
For four years, the Reptile Discovery Center’s Asian water dragon female lived alone. Then, while examining eggs as part of a study, animal keepers made a shocking discovery—one was fertile! How could a female lay a fertile egg without a mate? They turned to the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute (SCBI) for an answer to the mystery: parthenogenesis.
Miller: While biologists have documented cases of parthenogenesis in other species
The largest living land mammals, elephants are intelligent, social and vital to their ecosystems.
Elephants actually walk on their toes and have a thick, fibrous pad on the bottom
North American birdwatchers can easily recognize these sociable, fruit-eating birds. With their distinctive silky-smooth plumage, handsome black mask, and buzzy, high-pitched calls, cedar waxwings are often encountered in orchards, farm fields, and other places with lots of fruit-bearing trees and bushes.
Adults have pale brown heads with pointed crests and black mask over their eyes that
Find the answers to some of the most-searched questions about black-footed ferrets, North America’s only native ferret species!
These playful animals were once thought to be extinct but have made an incredible
, SCBI marine physiologist Mary Hagedorn and research assistant Virginia Carter have
Our newest litter of cheetah cubs are busy exploring… and they just got their first physical! Learn about caring for cubs in this update from carnivore biologist Adrienne Crosier.
You may have even seen a few cubs go into one of the Cheetah Cub Cam dens on their
Those of you who have been following Guntur from the beginning may remember that
Tree shrews look remarkably similar to squirrels. They are native to Southeast Asia and are the only members of their taxonomic order.
Fact Sheet Conservation Physical Description Northern tree shrews have grayish
Known for its eye-popping red plumage, the scarlet ibis is a medium-sized wading bird often found near freshwater and brackish water marshes. Flocks of these birds forage in shallow water and roost atop lofty trees.
Fact Sheet Conservation Physical Description Adult scarlet ibises have bright
