Ashley Goetz

Ashley Goetz is a web content writer at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute, where she translates animal care research and conservation science into compelling stories.

Stories from this author

Black tree monitor (lizard) with dark coloration, an elongated body and a long, slender tail rests on a branch

Meet the Black Tree Monitor

An aerial photo of two horseshoe crabs on the sand in shallow tidal waters

10 Incredible Horseshoe Crab Facts

tamandua with its long tongue sticking out

How Long Is a Tamandua's Tongue? And More Fun Facts

Giant panda Xiao Qi Ji upside-down in a hammock

Watch: 10 Animal Videos That Topped Our List in 2021

Caribbean flamingos

10 Things You Didn't Know About Flamingos

A sea lion at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

5 Free Programs Streaming for Earth Week

Reptile keepers are warming up to a new monitor lizard this winter, a young Komodo dragon named Onyx.

Caring for Komodo Dragons, the World's Largest Lizards

A cheetah cub at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Front Royal, Virginia.

8 Aww-Inspiring Videos of the Year's Best Animal and Conservation Stories

Spindly legs and thick, red fur have earned them the nickname “foxes on stilts,” but maned wolves are neither fox nor wolf.

What the Rhythm of a Maned Wolf's Heart Reveals

Tigers are the largest cat species in the world. Amur tigers (sometimes called Siberian tigers) are the biggest tigers, with males weighing up to 660 pounds and measuring up to 10 feet long from nose to tip of the tail.

What Does Tiger Poop Look Like? And More Tiger Facts

researcher Tremie Gregory climbs high up a tree in Peruvian Amazon rainforest to set up a camera trap

How Scientists Are Uncovering the Secrets of Life in the Rainforest Canopy

The Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute welcomed many new animals in 2019, including this endangered red panda cub. (Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute).

2019's Conservation Stories Worth Celebrating

Black-footed ferrets are well-suited for their prairie environment, where their colors help them blend in with grassland soils and plants.

What Sound Does a Black-footed Ferret Make? And Other Ferret Facts

A Savannah sparrow stands on a patch of melting snow in a warm-season grass field in Virginia. (Amy Johnson, Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute)

Not All Birds Fly South for the Winter

It's easy to spot the difference between Karl and Karoline (even without Karl’s beak). Karoline is smaller and has a blue and black throat sack. Like other male Abyssinian ground hornbills, Karl has a red and blue throat sack.

When Karl Met Karoline