The gray wolf, also called the timber wolf, is the largest member of the canine family with fur ranging from gray to brown, black or white. Packs of gray wolves hunt at night, using their speed, sharp teeth and claws to catch caribou, moose, deer, bison, beavers, rabbits and fish.
Gray wolves are highly adaptable and have been known to survive in all habitats in
The spotted turtle is a small species of turtle found near ponds, swamps and streamside habitats in the eastern United States and lower Canada. They are recognizable for the yellow polka-dot pattern covering their bodies.
Fact Sheet Conservation Physical Description Spotted pond turtles have a brown
Big bright eyes, bounding leaps and vivacious vocalizations—there’s no denying that lemurs are downright adorable! Every October, we celebrate World Lemur Day to raise awareness of these endangered primates from Madagascar. Meet our animal ambassadors—and learn how you can help their wild cousins—in this update from our Primate and Small Mammal House keepers.
Unlike the ring-tailed lemurs, however, they do not have a hierarchical structure
Painting with alpacas, training miniature donkeys and hosting hands-on animal encounters. It’s all in a day’s work for animal keepers Nikki Maticic and John Taylor! Follow their story for a behind-the-scenes look at a day in the life of a Kids’ Farm keeper.
Do they have any nasal discharge?
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.
And as you might have already guessed, this 10-year-old female sloth bear is the
In March, we celebrated two pygmy slow loris births! Now, the bright-eyed babies are getting braver and exploring their exhibit.
They have been growing up so fast!
Standing eye-to-eye with a southern cassowary, it is easy to see how this giant bird is considered the dinosaurs’ closest living relative. In October 2020, we took two of these avian ambassadors under our wing: brothers Irwin and Dundee.
They do not, but they have some seriously amazing defense mechanisms in place.
Semipalmated plovers are small, plump shorebirds with a short bill, long orangish legs, and a single black „necklace“ of feathers. They travel across North America each year to their remote sub-Arctic nesting grounds.
Fact Sheet Conservation Physical Description Semipalmated plovers have plumage
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.
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.
mother Shera and father Luke, the 14-week-old cubs passed their swim test in May and have
