National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

20250327-L1190365-02RP (1).jpg

Leaf-Tailed Gecko Treated With Chemotherapy Regimen at National Zoo

Veterinarians performed the innovative treatment on a 4-year-old Henkel's leaf-tailed gecko, a species at the fringes of zoo medicine.

20240415-001BG.jpeg

Meet the Eastern Red-Backed Salamander, A Tiny Environmental Hero

Next time you’re walking through fallen leaves in a forest, keep an eye out for the Eastern red-backed salamander—a small woodland creature with a huge role to play.

coralqa_ladyelliotreefbecspindler.jpg

As Climate Change and Pollution Imperil Coral Reefs, Scientists Are Deep-Freezing Corals to Repopulate Future Oceans

Just as the world’s zoos breed critically endangered animals in captivity to repopulate the wild, scientists are building a global effort to freeze corals for reef restoration.

right-shave-closeup-square.png

How Genomic Science Solved a Cheetah Cub Paternity Mystery

When Echo's five cubs were born last fall, their exact lineage was unclear. A genetic analysis conducted by Smithsonian scientists revealed the truth.

harlequin-release-1400x700.png

Rain, Rivers and Radiotrackers: Releasing Captive-Bred Harlequin Frogs Into the Wild

A team of scientists ventured deep into the rain-soaked Panamanian forest on a mission to restore wild populations of a critically-endangered amphibian.

giraffe-nzcbi-michael-brown.png

A High-Tech Approach to Giraffe Conservation

An average wild giraffe has a home range of about 140 square miles—nearly equivalent to the surface area of Philadelphia. So how do scientists track and study them?

limosa-harlequin-frog-release.jpg

A New Leap in the Fight to Save Frogs

Scientists identify best practices for reintroduction of endangered and extinct amphibians in a new publication.

dr-luke-linhoff-collecting-mucus-from-a-frog-at-the-panama-amphibian-rescue-and-conservation-project_50617355846_o.jpg

After An Insect Detox, Can Once-Poisonous Frogs Get Their Spice Back?

Poison frogs living in human care aren’t poisonous, thanks to a “detox” diet of mild insects, like crickets and fruit flies. Can adding alkaloids to a frog’s diet help it regain its toxins and get its “spice” back?

Two female Asian Elephants

Two Asian Elephants Arrive at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

The females, 19-year-0ld Trong Nhi and daughter, 9-year-old Nhi Linh, join males Spike, 41, Kamala, 47, Swarna, 47 and Maharani, 32, at the "Elephant Trails" exhibit in Washington, D.C.

A small wood turtle stands in a pile of fallen leaves in a forest

Meet the Researchers Working to Save Wood Turtles

To ensure a future for these endangered turtles, scientists need to know how many are left

Cheetah mother and cubs huddled together in the grass

Meet the Small but Mighty Microbiomes

Trillions of microscopic bacteria play an important role in keeping animals healthy

A male Guam kingfisher bird wearing a transmitter on its back is held gently in an animal keeper's gloved hand

Scientists Are Using 3-D-Printing Technology to Ready Guam Kingfishers for Reintroduction to the Wild

'Test flights' using replica transmitters will help scientists select the best option for siheks

Horned lark chicks camouflaged in their nest on the ground in the Northern Great Plains

A Rare Look Inside the Nests of Declining Prairie Songbirds

It can take hours to find the well-hidden nests of migratory birds on the Northern Great Plains

Close-up of a Kirtland's warbler songbird

A Day in the Life of a Conservation Biologist in Search of a Rare Songbird’s Nest

In Michigan’s jack pine forests, researchers spend hours on the lookout for Kirtland's warblers

Panamanian golden frog standing among dirt and leaves

Is a 'Living Pharmacy' the Key to Curing Chytrid in Frogs?

Scientists test a new approach to protecting frogs from the deadly fungal pathogen

Bobcat caught on camera trap walking through brush and scrub on Montana's grasslands

How I Study Elusive Prairie Bobcats

Camera traps reveal how bobcats navigate the Northern Great Plains

Swift fox pups huddled together at dusk on Montana's grasslands

Why Researchers Are Scouring Montana's Grasslands for Swift Fox Scat

Scientists can learn a lot from what an animal leaves behind

Long-billed curlew in flight

GPS Tracking Technology Allows Scientists to Fly With Curlews on Their Epic Migrations

Researchers are unraveling the mystery of how migratory birds achieve their amazing flights

In late April, scientists and the public noticed a surprising number of birds in the mid-Atlantic region were exhibiting strange symptoms, often sick or dying. Smithsonian scientists need your help to figure out why.

Mysterious Bird Deaths in the Mid-Atlantic Region

A call for citizen scientists to help figure out the cause of mysterious bird deaths in the mid-Atlantic region

Categories
Archive

Page 1 of 3