Our newest litter of black-footed ferrets is growing up fast. Find out what it takes to care for two-month-old black-footed ferrets in this Q&A with biologist Adrienne Crosier.
The tubing replicates the prairie dog tunnels wild black-footed ferrets use to live
Many of the Zoo’s animals are built for extreme temperatures, including the fennec fox! Learn how animal keepers care for these desert dwelling foxes.
They usually dig their own burrows, which can include a series of tunnels reaching
With their big ears, wide eyes and furry paws, sand cats may look adorable… but they’re quite tough! Sand cats are the only members of the cat family that live exclusively in desert environments. Get to know these hardy felines in this Q&A.
Sand cats avoid extreme temperatures by creating burrows and tunnels into the sand
For the first time since 2018, the Zoo’s naked mole rat colony is without a queen. Kenton Kerns, assistant curator of the Small Mammal House, explains how the wrinkled rodents are adapting to the change.
Most of the time, they use their teeth to dig their underground tunnels (their hairy
Fennec foxes are the smallest of the canids and live in deserts and arid regions of Africa and Arabia. They have extraordinarily large ears, which help them hunt at night.
They create the burrows themselves, often digging out a series of tunnels that can
Roads can be a dangerous challenge for terrestrial and arboreal wildlife. One scientist is trying to change that.
For the first time in Brazil, I monitored road underpasses, which are underground tunnels
September 26 marks 40 years since black-footed ferrets were re-discovered in the wild, kick-starting today’s breeding and reintroduction program. Find out what it takes to care for Zoo Guardians‘ September Animal of the Month and Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s black-footed ferrets from animal keeper Vicki Lake!
In the wild, black-footed ferrets live, hunt and reproduce in prairie dog tunnels
The American alligator is a large crocodilian with an armored body, short legs, a muscular tail and a long, rounded snout. This reptile nearly went extinct but is now considered a conservation success story.
These tunnels can be as long as 65 feet (20 m) and provide protection during extreme
She’s spunky, engaging and loves eating bugs. Get to know this 10-year-old female sloth bear, the newest resident of the Zoo’s Asia Trail.
… [one thing] that really got her attention was when we went through one of the tunnels
North America’s only native ferret species, black-footed ferrets were once thought to be extinct in the wild. Thanks to breeding and reintroduction programs, they have made a remarkable recovery.
Preconditioning involves familiarizing the animals with burrows (underground tunnels
