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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
The Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute is a leader in animal care, science, education, & sustainability. s.si.edu/emVrm
Washington, DCnationalzoo.si.eduJoined October 2008
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
🐍👂 Do snakes have ears? Yes! Although they don't have an outer ear, their inner ear (columella) connects to the jawbone, enabling them to sense vibrations between 50 - 1,000 Hertz. They can only hear a portion of the sounds we hear, since humans can hear 20 - 20,000 Hertz.
A green snake slithers across a branch. The rhinoceros snake gets its name from the scaly "horn" on the tip of its snout.
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
🐘 🐘 Get ready to rumble, trumpet and stomp! Ever since Asian elephants Trong Nhi and Nhi Linh made their debut at Elephant Trails, they have been busy building relationships with their keepers and herd members. Get to know them in this Q+A! ✏️STORY: s.si.edu/3GxXw67.
nationalzoo.si.edu
Meet Our Asian Elephant Mother-Daughter Duo
Let’s get ready to rumble, trumpet and stomp! Ever since Asian elephants Trong Nhi and Nhi Linh made their debut at the Elephant Trails habitat, they have been busy building relationships with their
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
🐸💚 Mossy frogs are masters of camouflage! From a distance, their lumpy, bumpy skin is difficult to distinguish from a clump of moss. When frightened, they curl up into a ball and plop into the water below to escape from harm’s way. 💧 See them at the Reptile Discovery Center!
A Vietnamese mossy frog rests on a tree branch. Vietnamese mossy frogs greatly resemble a clump of moss thanks to their green color, black spots, and visible tubercules and spines.
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
🌳 This is a little sappy: 50 - 70% of wild pygmy slow lorises' diet is tree sap. Their specialized bottom teeth gouge into the bark of trees, causing sap to flow freely. Our lorises receive gum arabic daily as their sap! ✏️Meet Naga and Pabu in this Q+A: s.si.edu/3QRs7R6.
Pygmy slow loris crouches on a tree branch, illuminated from behind by a red light.
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
🎉🐰 Hoppy Lunar New Year! The Small Mammal House is ringing in the Year of the Rabbit with some adorable enrichment. 📹 Watch as lucky skunks, sloths, emperor tamarins and more explore festively 🐇 decorated boxes and paper bags.
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@NationalZoo
❤️🐿️ There’s one squirrel in Washington, D.C., that you won’t catch scaling your neighbor’s oak tree with a mouthful of acorns. Celebrate Squirrel Appreciation Day with 6 fun facts about the Prevost’s squirrel, a species native to Asia. 👋 LEARN MORE: s.si.edu/39Uri4Y.
A prevost squirrel nibbles on some hay and a leaf. Its fur is black, white and chestnut brown.
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@NationalZoo
🥳🎉Happy birthday to you 🎵 Happy birthday to you 🎶 Happy 6th Birthday, Birdie 🎵 Happy birthday to you! Visit her and the other members of our gray seal colony at American Trail!
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@NationalZoo
🐐🐐 Kick up your hooves and zoom(ies) into the weekend! . . . 👋 C'mon down to Kids' Farm to meet Nigerian dwarf goats Betty and Wilma! Betty's fur is reddish-brown with white markings, and Wilma’s fur is blonde with white patches.
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
🥶 It may be cold outside, but bear-y cute snuggles from our Andean Bear Cub Cam are sure to warm you up! 🐻💻🥰 Enjoy some adorable moments with mama bear Brienne and her two cubs while getting a good look at how big the cubs have grown. 👀📹 Watch now: s.si.edu/3kn2pI7.
nationalzoo.si.edu
Andean Bear Cub Cam: Best Moments of the Week #3
It may be cold outside, but these bear-y cute snuggles from our Andean Bear Cub Cam are sure to warm you up!
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
🐆🍖🩺❄️ It's a new year filled with new experiences for our cheetah family! Earlier this month, Amani's cubs received their first whole-prey food item and a clean bill of health from vets. Plus, the boys experienced their first snow! ✏️#CheetahCubdate: s.si.edu/3iF1e6l.
nationalzoo.si.edu
#CheetahCubdate 6: New Year, New Food and the First Snow
Amani and her 3-month-old cubs are entering the new year with new experiences and a clean bill of health. Read on for the full update from the keepers!
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
🐦🌎 What is migration, and why do some birds migrate? Fly into the Zoo’s free virtual school program all about migratory birds on Wednesday, Jan. 18 at 2 p.m. EST. Explore a few key habitats and learn more about these birds' annual journeys. 💻 REGISTER: s.si.edu/3iEthCV.
A female wood thrust stands on a thin tree branch in front of a white background. The top of her head and wings are light brown, and her face and chest are white with dark brown spotting.
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
🦷🥩 After biting down, the Komodo dragon shakes its head from side-to-side, further wounding its prey. Bacteria and venom in its saliva will kill the prey within a few days. The Komodo dragon uses its powerful sense of smell to locate the body. Then, it's time to feast!
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
💚🐲 Today is appreciate a dragon day, so let's show some love to our Komodo dragon friends! Although these dragons don't breathe fire, they do have an effective tool for taking down prey. The outer curve of their teeth is smooth, while the inner curve is serrated, like a knife.
A Komodo dragon lays on a patch of grass. Its grayish pink tongue dangles out of its mouth.
A close-up of a Komodo dragon's tooth in a person's hand. It is about half an inch long and curves to a sharp point.
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
🐦Why do some birds migrate? Fly into the Zoo’s free virtual school program all about migratory birds on Jan.18 at 2 p.m. EST. Explore key habitats & their annual journeys. Best for grades K-5. Live captioning & ASL interpretation included. 💻Register: bit.ly/3CNjJfH
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
👋🐆 Meet Ariel, Jilian, Paitoon and Ta Moon—our clouded leopards! Pounce from Washington D.C. to Front Royal, Virginia, and learn more about these cool cats in this Q+A with their keepers! ✏️STORY: s.si.edu/3vRd8g7.
nationalzoo.si.edu
How to Care for Clouded Leopards
Meet the four clouded leopards who call the Smithsonian National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute home. Pounce from Washington D.C. with Asia Trail keepers Kaitlyn Adkins and Jenny Spotten, to
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
🐘 🐘 Let’s get ready to rumble, trumpet + stomp! Ever since Asian elephants Trong Nhi and Nhi Linh made their debut at Elephant Trails, they have been busy building relationships with their keepers and herd members. Get to know them in this Q+A! ✏️STORY: s.si.edu/3GxXw67.
Asian elephants Trong Nhi (left) is slightly larger in size than her daughter Nhi Linh (right), and she has a blunter trunk tip. Nhi Linh is smaller with big eyes, lots of hair and a very pointed trunk tip.
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@NationalZoo
🦍🎉 Happy birthday, Kibibi! Our "little lady" turned 14 years old today. This #throwback pic of her and mom Mandara was taken about a month after she was born. She is just as photogenic today! ♻️ We can help western lowland gorillas like Kibibi by recycling our old electronics.
Western lowland gorilla Mandara cradles here 1-month-old newborn, Kibibi.
Western lowland gorilla Kibibi relaxes in the grass of her outdoor enclosure. She is sitting upright, looking directly at the viewer.
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
🦨🦨 Meet Pigpen and Sauerkraut, our new striped skunk brothers! The 8 m.o. youngsters' hobbies include eating, snuggling + snoozing. Get to know them in this Q+A with keeper Kara Ingraham. ✏️STORY: s.si.edu/3CzuUbO. 📸 1: Hello, Pigpen! 🙃 📸 2: Sauerkraut *boop* 👃👆
Striped skunk Pigpen (pictured) is smaller than his brother and has a black tail. Striped skunks have an easily identifiable coloration: two thick white stripes along the back and tail sharply contrast an otherwise black coat. The specific pattern of the stripes on the head, body and tail can vary among individuals, and is accompanied by a thin, white stripe running from the snout to forehead.
Striped skunk Sauerkraut is larger and has a white tail and white spots on the outside of both back legs. Striped skunks have an easily identifiable coloration: two thick white stripes along the back and tail sharply contrast an otherwise black coat. The specific pattern of the stripes on the head, body and tail can vary among individuals, and is accompanied by a thin, white stripe running from the snout to forehead.
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
🐈🤫 Sand cats are a very secretive species. Their foot pads have fur, which means they can walk on the sand and leave little to no tracks. 🐾They're built to withstand very hot and cold temperatures in the wild by burrowing into the sand. 🏜️ 👋 Visit them at Small Mammal House!
Sand cats have a pale sandy to grey-brown coat, which is slightly darker on the back and pale on the belly, with occasional stripes on the legs. Bold, red streaks runs across each cheek from the corner of both eyes. Sand cats have a broad head with large eyes and low-set ears. They have short limbs.
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
🐐👀 Here's lookin' at you, kids! Goats have rectangle-shaped pupils that allow them to keep their heads down to graze on grasses and leaves, while at the same time keeping an eye out for predators. 👋 C'mon down to Kids' Farm to meet Nigerian dwarf goats Betty (L) + Wilma (R)!
Nigerian dwarf goats Betty (L) + Wilma (R) rest atop a platform in their exhibit. Betty has reddish-brown fur with white spots, and Wilma has blonde.
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
💗🌏 Thank you for being part of our conservation community. Here's to a New Year filled with moments of joy and inspiration from our natural world.
A digital card featuring the Zoo's new Asian elephants, Trong Nhi and Nhi Linh. Text on the card reads: Wishing you a wild and wonderous holiday season and new year.
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@NationalZoo
🥳🦧 Happy 46th birthday to Bonnie—one of the silliest orangutans you’ll ever meet! She is a wonderful “auntie” + playmate for Redd, and she unabashedly dotes on him. Often, she will make a squeaking vocalization to grab his attention and signify her desire to play.
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
It's Wednesday☂️, time for a red-bellied piranha fun fact! 🐟 Piranhas' triangular, razor sharp teeth interlock neatly with a matching set above. This allows them to bite down with incredible force and shearing ability (they nip the tails + flesh of fish). 👋See them at Amazonia!
A red-bellied piranha swims in its habitat, surrounded by vibrant green aquatic plants.
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National Zoo
@NationalZoo
🎉🦧 Happy 26th birthday, Batang! Orangutans have the longest infant dependency of any mammal and will nurse for up to 6 or 7 years. Batang has been 6-year-old Redd’s number one friend from the beginning, and they share an unbreakable mother-son bond.
Orangutan Batang lays on her belly in a bed of hay while her son, Redd, embraces her from above.
Orangutan Batang (left) and her son, Redd (right), hold onto ropes as they cross the O-Line tower.
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@NationalZoo
🦭🎂 Happy 31st birthday to gray seal Gunther! Male gray seals have a distinctively arched nose. The vibrissae, or whiskers, located on the head are extremely sensitive and help seals hunt in total darkness by allowing them to feel the currents created by their moving prey.
gray seal
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🦥💋🦥 Meet our two-toed sloths, Athena + Vlad, under the mistletoe! . . . Keepers say 4 y.o. Athena frequently sneaks smooches from her 36 y.o. mate. Keepers think the act may be less of a romantic gesture and more of a greeting.
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National Zoo
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There's ❄️snow ❄️place like home for the holidays! In January, everyone got into the #SnowDay spirit! Sloth bears Niko + Deemak had a wintry wrestle. American Bison Lucy + Gally and Asian elephant Swarna grazed peacefully. In Front Royal, cheetahs awoke to a snowy surprise!
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In a darkened, red-lit area of the Small Mammal House, two small, nocturnal primates explore their habitats. Naga and Pabu are the first pygmy slow lorises housed at the Zoo. Get the scoop from keepers Kara Ingraham and Ann Gutowski in this Q+A. ✏️STORY: s.si.edu/3hk6Dih.
nationalzoo.si.edu
New at the Zoo: Pygmy Slow Lorises
In a darkened, red-lit area of the Small Mammal House, two small, nocturnal primates explore their habitats. Naga and Pabu are the first pygmy slow lorises housed at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo
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📸🐼✨ Before giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji, his older brother Bei Bei was the biggest *celebearty* on the block. Relive the remarkable story of our beloved black-and-white ambassador in “Bei Bei Goes Home: A Panda Story.” 📚 CHECK IT OUT: s.si.edu/3EFwqIe.
Bei Bei Goes Home: A Panda Story book cover
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