Alligator snapping turtles are the largest freshwater turtles in the world. Their heavy heads, strong jaws, hooked beak and spiked shells give them a prehistoric appearance.
Alligator snapping turtles have long, narrow tongues equipped with an appendage that
Also known as the Iranian leopard gecko, Iranian fat-tailed geckos are lizards found in semi-desert, mountainous regions of northeastern Syria, northern Iraq, west-central Iran, and Turkey.
Iranian geckos also have long toes and spider-like legs that help them climb and
We care for many rare and endangered species here at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia, including a little brown bird named Tasi. Tasi is a 4-year-old Guam rail and a marvel, considering that just a few decades ago his species nearly disappeared.
But that changed after the arrival of the brown tree snake, a species thought to have
Asian elephants get much less attention than African elephants, but there is less than a tenth as many left in the world. About 500,000 African elephants remain in the wild compared to 30,000 to 50,000 Asian elephants.
By now, we have collared 19 elephants, and it appears that all of the ones that disappeared
Celebrate giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji’s birthday—and Zoo Guardians’ first anniversary—with giant panda keeper and real-life Zoo Guardian, Nicole MacCorkle!
native to the mountains of south-central China, where they live in forests that have
Studying hormones can help enhance the health and well-being of wildlife in zoos and in the natural world.
Endocrinology Research Laboratory fills the need to train young biologists who have
Earlier this summer, the Zoo welcomed Basil, a Virginia opossum (also known as a North American opossum) to the Small Mammal House. Get to know Basil in our new feature, written by animal keeper Mimi Nowlin!
A female opossum can have up to 25 offspring in one litter!
Always free of charge, the Smithsonian’s National Zoo is one of Washington D.C.’s, and the Smithsonian’s, most popular tourist destinations, with more than 2 million visitors from all over the world each year. The Zoo instills a lifelong commitment to conservation through engaging experiences with animals and the people working to save them.
Old World primates and great apes, which have identical amino acids at the binding
This small, fairly common songbird travels between cool, boggy northern forests and warm southern regions each year. Unlike many of their warbler cousins, they are often seen foraging on the ground, not in trees, while bobbing their tail.
Eastern adults in their breeding plumage have yellow undersides with brownish gray
The Zoo’s two giant pandas look quite similar to the untrained eye. Panda keeper Mariel Lally offers some tips you can use to spot the difference!
Eye Patches Image: The pandas’ eye patches have subtle differences.
