National Zoo

Southern cassowary brothers Irwin (left) and Dundee (right).

Meet Cassowary Brothers Irwin and Dundee, Descendants of Dinosaurs

This giant bird is considered to be the dinosaurs’ closest living relative

A 17-year Brood X cicada.

Will 17-Year Cicadas Be a Buffet or Big Disturbance for Birds?

Local songbirds, including chickadees, bluebirds and cardinals, will take advantage of their abundance and Smithsonian scientists are eager to study

This 17-year Brood X cicada nymph is one step away from adulthood. After emerging from the dirt, cicadas typically crawl up the base of a tree to complete their final molt, expand their wings and fly away.

Will Animals at the Zoo Find Brood X Cicadas a Tasty Snack?

What will animals think of the impending bug buffet?

Beginning next month, visitors will be able to meet baby panda cub Xiao Qi Ji in person.When the Zoo opens on May 21, visitors will be able to meet baby panda cub Xiao Qi Ji in person. But fair warning—he might be napping.

Smithsonian Announces the Zoo and Seven Museums Open in May

You'll finally be able to see the baby panda in person; here's our comprehensive list of what's on view and tips for visiting

Some designers promote fashion lines based on kente cloth from Ghana.

When Is Kente Cloth Worn and More Questions From Our Readers

You've got questions. We've got experts

As many commercial operators and homeowners are shifting to LEDs, which tend to fall somewhere in the blue-white spectrum, the new results may have important implications beyond tropical rainforests.

Using Amber-Filtered Bulbs Instead of White Light Attracts Fewer Bugs

In a tropical rainforest study, 60 percent fewer insects visited traps illuminated in a golden glow. Researchers say the results may be widely applicable

Above: This leaf-tailed gecko hatchling receives his medication from a syringe, which he laps up with his impressive tongue.

Watch How Zookeepers Give Animals Their Meds

It takes more than just a spoonful of sugar to entice compliance from geckos, red pandas, kiwis and monkeys

Western lowland gorilla Baraka forages in the outdoor gorilla habitat at the Smithsonian's National Zoo. The silverback takes mealtime seriously, say his keepers.

How Do You Help a Gorilla With a Toothache?

When primate keepers at the Smithsonian's National Zoo noticed Baraka wasn't eating his meals, they wondered if this masked something more serious

Panamanian golden frogs—such as F1, seen here—are native to the rainforests and cloud forests of Panama but haven't been seen in the wild since 2009. Each creature's bright coloration warns predators of its deadly skin, which contains enough toxins to kill 1,200 mice.

A Small Band of Panamanian Golden Frogs Is Saving Their Species From Oblivion

Victims of a deadly fungus, the amphibians are now being selectively bred through a program at the Smithsonian's National Zoo

A female ruby-throated hummingbird sips nectar from a flower.

How Do You Weigh a Hummingbird?

Find out how animal keepers weigh Spot, the hummingbird, and get tips on attracting the tiny beauties to your backyard

The first cheetah cub born at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute celebrated his 10th birthday last year, marking a decade of the facility's successful cheetah breeding program.

Five Cheetah Stories From the National Zoo

Take a look back at some of the milestones the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute’s cheetah team has celebrated since the program began

Could humans be visiting Venus in the future?

Will We Ever Send Humans to Venus?

You’ve got questions. We’ve got experts

January was a month full of firsts for giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji. The growing bear played with enrichment toys, took his first bites of sweet potato and bamboo, and had his first encounter with snow!

Giant Panda Cub Xiao Qi Ji's Best Moments—in Video

Watch the growing bear play with enrichment toys, take his first bites of sweet potato and bamboo, and have his first encounter with snow

Giant panda cub Xiao Qi Ji experiences snow for the first time just beyond his indoor exhibit on Sunday. Though he did not venture further, his parents Mei Xiang and Tian Tian played around outside.

Watch Giant Pandas and Other Zoo Animals Frolic in the Snow

The weekend's winter snowfall in Washington, D.C. delighted the giant pandas, red pandas, Andean bears and other critters at the National Zoo

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

How to Care for Komodo Dragons, the World's Largest Lizards

The Smithsonian's National Zoo is warming up to a new monitor lizard this winter, a young Komodo dragon named Onyx

Alice is unlike any other Stanley crane.

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

From a litter of chirping cheetahs and the birth of a lovable giant panda cub to groundbreaking coral reef research and new strides in animal care

The female giant panda Mei Xiang (pronounced may-SHONG) and male Tian Tian (tee-YEN tee-YEN), will return to China at the end of 2023 at the relatively elder panda ages of 25 and 26, respectively.

Smithsonian's Giant Pandas Will Continue to Cavort for Three More Years

A new agreement ensures that the Zoo’s beloved animals and the new cub can stay through 2023

Tasi is a 4-year-old Guam rail and a marvel, considering that just a few decades ago his species nearly disappeared.

Meet Tasi, a Little Bird with a Big Purpose

A 4-year-old Guam rail is a marvel, considering that just a few decades ago his species nearly disappeared

The cub's new name is Xiao Qi Ji (SHIAU-chi-ji), or "little miracle."

The National Zoo Reveals Its New Panda Cub's Name

Members of the public voted to name the three-month-old cub Xiao Qi Ji, or "little miracle"

The planets in our solar system all orbit the Sun in one shared plane.

Why Do the Planets All Orbit the Sun in the Same Plane?

You've got questions. We've got experts

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