Animals
Animals
Learn About Our Animals
Your Zoo is home to more than 10,000 individual animals representing over 720 species. In an effort to save endangered wildlife we participate in more than 80 Species Survival Plans that ensure healthy, genetically diverse Zoo populations. Travel around the world from the tropics to Greenland, ocean to sky and desert to rainforest in one Zoo visit.
Look for these icons
The orange heart indicates which animals are available for Zoo PAL adoption!
The green leaf indicates conservation efforts available for donations!
The teal apple indicates an opportunity to contribute to animal diets and enrichment treats.
Birds
African Penguin |
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Caribbean Flamingo |
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Bald Eagle |
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Helmeted Guinea Fowl |
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Kagu |
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Kiwi |
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Many-colored Fruit Dove |
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Ostrich |
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Pink-necked Fruit Dove |
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Rhinoceros Hornbill |
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Scaly-sided Merganser |
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Steller's Eider |
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Mammals
Addra Gazelle |
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African Elephant |
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Allen's Swamp Monkey |
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Amur Tiger |
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Andean Bear |
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Bactrian Camel |
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Bornean Orangutan |
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Cheetah |
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Colobus Monkey |
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Grey Seal |
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Grizzly Bear |
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Harbor Seal |
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Hippopotamus |
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Indian Rhinoceros |
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Kodiak Bear |
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Linne's Two-Toed Sloth |
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Masai Giraffe |
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Meerkat |
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Mongoose Lemur |
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Naked Mole Rat |
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Polar Bear |
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Red Panda |
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Dingo |
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Emperor Tamarin |
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Francois's Langur |
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Gray Wolf |
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Greater Kudu |
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Reindeer |
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Ring-Tailed Lemur |
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Snow Leopard |
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North American River Otter |
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Tasmanian devil |
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Watusi Cattle |
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Western Lowland Gorilla |
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White-Cheeked Gibbon |
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Yak |
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Reptiles / Amphibians
Aruba Island Rattlesnake |
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Bushmaster |
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Crocodile red-eyed skink |
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Cuban Boa |
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Galapagos Tortoise |
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Green Anaconda |
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Green Mamba |
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Kihansi Spray Toad |
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Leaf-Tailed Gecko |
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Red Spitting Cobra |
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Reticulated Python |
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Saltwater Crocodile |
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Tuatara |
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Invertebrates
Karner Blue Butterfly |
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Leaf-Cutter Ant |
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Mitchell's Satyr |
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Monarch Butterfly |
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Aquarium Animals
Bichir |
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Blacktip Reef Shark |
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Flashlight Fish |
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Giant Pacific Octopus |
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Green Sea Turtle |
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Lake Victoria Cichlid |
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Seahorse, Hippocampus sp. |
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Orange Clownfish |
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Pacific Sea Nettles |
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Walleye |
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Must See Animal Care Videos
Nutrition
The Toledo Zoo's Commissary department is responsible for ordering, preparing and distributing food to all of the animals at the Toledo Zoo.
In one month our animals consume:
- 139 lbs. of eggs
- 1,420 lbs. of feline carnivore diet
- 1,567 bales of hay
- 1,980,000 crickets
- 1,990 lbs. of fruit
- 6,892 lbs. of fish
- 8,860 lbs. of veggies
- 553,000 mealworms
Our Animal Training
Our veterinary staff plays many roles in animal care, including preventative health, emergency care, diet assessment, geriatric care and neonatal medicine. Their day-to-day jobs include exams for each individual animal, emergency interventions, performing blood tests and fecal exams, weight management assessments and more.
In one year our vet staff performs:
- 1,100+ exams
- 897 fecal tests
- 400 blood tests
- 570 radiographs
Enrichment
The Zoo’s animal welfare and enrichment program is comparable to a company’s wellness program. It provides guidelines for generating the best health readings for each of our resident species. Beyond that, it looks at each species and even individual animal’s physical fitness, mental state, overall health and ability to “be the species” or a gorilla’s ability to simply be a gorilla.
Reusing For Enrichment
Sometimes, old recyclable items can be used to keep our animals entertained and to bring out their natural behaviors such as hunting and playing. The Zoo will recycle many common items and place them in the exhibit. Common items used for enrichment include:
- Shredded office paper for bedding
- Cardboard boxes
- Fire hose
- Plastic buckets, yogurt cups
- 55 gallon barrels
- Cardboard tubes/Carpet tubes
- Perfumes and colognes
- Sheets and towels for orangutan bedding
- Phone books
- Feed bags
- Oatmeal canisters
Sustainability at the Zoo
Learn about the Zoo's implementation of sustainable practices and initiatives.Learn more
How can you help?
Learn how you can conserve the natural world through these helpful tips.Learn more
Become a Zoo Pal Sponsor!
Anyone can sponsor an animal and become a Zoo PAL (Proud Animal Lover)
Look for the heart!
The orange heart on the animal profiles indicate which animals are available for Zoo PAL adoption!
The orange heart on the animal profiles indicate which animals are available for Zoo PAL adoption!
Zoo PAL is sponsored by:
Be an animal parent without all the work!
Zoo PAL sponsorships are the public’s best way to take part in our animal care as donations go directly to the diet, enrichment and health of your chosen animal!
FEATURED ANIMAL: Sea Lions
Offer some help by becoming a Zoo PAL through a sponsorship to cover exceptional animal care and enrichment for the Toledo Zoo's newest arrival - sea lions!
Learn More
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African Penguin
IUCN Status: Endangered
African Penguins are warm weather birds also known as Black-footed Penguins and Jackass Penguins because of their braying or donkey-like vocalization. They are black and white with black spots on their chest that are unique to each individual bird. They are countershaded, meaning their white abdomen protects them from predators below while their black backs protect from predators above. They stand approximately 27 inches tall and weigh four to nine pounds. The species is native to the southern coast of Africa and their diet consists of fish and krill. They are endangered due to commercial fisheries and shifts in prey population from climate change.
Caribbean Flamingo
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Caribbean Flamingoes are found in shallow salt waters of the southern United States, Caribbean, Middle East, Africa and South America. They stand approximately five feet tall, weigh about five pounds and have a wingspan of five feet. They have large beaks that are beige at the base, pink in the middle and black on the tip to aid in filter feeding. Their trademark pink coloration comes from their diet of crustaceans, mollusks, insects and algae. Flamingo populations are suffering from habitat loss for salt collection and being hunted for food.
Bald Eagle
IUCN Status: Least Concern
The Bald Eagle is the national symbol of the United States and perhaps our nation’s best conservation effort. Population of the iconic bird plummeted to an all-time low in the 1960s and through a relentless nationwide recovery was removed from the Endangered Species Act in 2007. Bald eagles are found near water sources throughout North American and are brown with a white head, neck and tail. They weigh six to 14 pounds and have a wingspan of more than eight feet. Bald eagles have full color vision, mate for life and can live for up to 50 years!
Helmeted Guinea Fowl
IUCN Status: No record
Helmeted Guinea Fowl are gray or black birds with white speckles that forage the African scrublands and savannas in large flocks for insects and plants. Helmeted Guinea Fowl get their name from yellow or red bony lumps on their heads with red or blue patches of skin on each side that resemble a helmet. While these birds, which weigh about three pounds, can fly, they usually run away from danger. While they are common across Africa, they are hunted for their eggs and meat.
Kagu
IUCN Status: Endangered
Kagu are rare, flightless birds that are native to the forests of the New Caledonia. Its name means ghost of the forest. Kagu have gray feathers, bright orange legs and bill, red eyes, a head crest and bold stripes on their wingtips. They weigh one to three pounds and have a 30.5 inch wingspan. Kagu can run quickly and are patient hunters of insects, worms, lizards and snails. Its call has been likened to the simultaneous sound of a rooster crowing and a dog barking. Kagus are endangered due to predation from dogs and feral pigs and habitat degradation.
Kiwi
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Kiwi are small ratites, or flightless birds, related to Cassowary and Ostriches that prey on the many species of insects that emerge after dark. Depending on the sub-species, Kiwi can weigh two to 12 pounds and can live for 50 to 60 years. Kiwi are burrow nesters. They will hide and sleep in their burrow all day and come out at night to hunt. Kiwi have very small eyes that are sensitive to light, so they rely on their senses of smell and touch along with their long bills containing ultra-sensitive whiskers at the base and nostrils at the tip to forage for insects. Kiwi are endangered due to predation from non-native mammals, specifically stoats (a type of weasel), dogs and feral cats, in their home range of New Zealand. In support of kiwi conservation, the Zoo has a kiwi on display in our Pheasantry and supports Kiwis for Kiwi preservation efforts in their native range.
Many-Colored Fruit Dove
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Many-colored fruit doves are native to American Samoa, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga. The global population size has not been properly quantified, but the species is reported to be uncommon, localized and decreasing. These little birds have been observed in small flocks in the canopy of banyan trees, where they eat the fruit the tree produces. Unfortunately, with the current rate of these trees being cut down for human expansion, relying on such a threatened food source could soon be very harmful to the longevity of the species. In October of 2016, four male and four female Many-colored Fruit Doves or Manuma, were transported from Pago Pago, American Samoa to the Zoo. The birds underwent an acclimation and quarantine period of approximately 60 days and were then set up in pairs to breed in our off-exhibit Avian Breeding Center. To date, four Many-colored Fruit Dove chicks have hatched at the Zoo.
Ostrich
IUCN Status: Least Concern
The Ostrich owns many titles in the animal world. It is the largest and heaviest living bird, has the largest eyes of any land animal and lays the largest eggs at six by five inches and about three pounds. Ostriches are omnivores that will eat whatever is available, have long necks and are native to Africa. They stand five to nine feet tall and weigh 200-290 pounds. Being flightless, ostriches use their wings for balance while running. In fact, they are capable of reaching 43 miles per hour in short bursts! Ostrich feathers are prized in the fashion world.
Pink-necked Fruit Dove
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Pink-necked Fruit Doves are native to southeast Asia and the mountains of the islands of Bali, Sumatra and Java where they eat fruit and berries. As they do not eat the seeds, the Doves disperse the seeds and actually help to regrow their own food source. Both males and females have pink/purplish heads and necks with a white band on their chest and green, gray and yellow feathers. Males are more vibrant than females. As Pink-necked Fruit Doves have a very small range and are quite shy, studying the species is incredibly difficult. While population numbers are unknown, it is thought they are declining due to habitat loss. To help support the population, Toledo Zoo began breeding and rearing Pink-necked Fruit Doves in 2014 and today houses the entire AZA population of the species. Since the beginning of our rearing, hatch rates have increased from two a year to more than five. In 2017, the zoo hand-reared 14 Pink-necked Fruit Dove chicks.
Rhinoceros Hornbill
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Rhinoceros hornbills name comes from the Greek words rhino meaning nose and ceros meaning horn. The males and females both have the characteristic large, orange casque (head ornamentation) and look almost identical except for their eye color; males have red eyes while females are white. The birds are 40-50 inches tall, weigh four to six pounds and have a wingspan of five feet. The species is considered near threatened due to logging destroying nesting areas and the birds being hunted for meat and feathers. To help save the species, the Toledo Zoo supports The Hornbill Research Foundation, which organizes the field protection and research of this striking bird. Our support helps observe and protect nest sites in southern Thailand.
Scaly-sided Merganser
IUCN Status: Endangered
Scaly-sided Mergansers are migratory ducks that are native to far east Russia, northeast China and North Korea. The males have a long, bright orange serrated bill, iridescent green head with a crest and black and white body with scalloping that resembles fish scales. Females are similar with brown heads, a shorter crest and a gray body with less noticeable scalloping. The wild population numbers are only approximately 4,000 due to logging and fishing industries in their habitats. In 2014 the Toledo Zoo became only the second Zoo in North America to successfully raise Scaly-sided Merganser chicks. In 2016, the bird staff successfully raised six ducklings!
Addra Gazelle
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
CITES Appendix I
Addra gazelles are native to the Sahara Desert and move seasonally to find food. Both males and females have approximately 17 inch horns that curve up and back. They are the largest and tallest of all gazelles at approximately 39 inches tall and 88-187 pounds. They graze on leaves and grasses and are able to ingest most of the water they need to survive from their plant diet. Addra gazelles are listed as critically endangered due to poaching, over-hunting and habitat destruction. It is thought there are less than 400 left in the wild.
African Elephant
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
African elephants are the largest land mammal on earth and can grow to be eight to 13 feet tall at the shoulder and weighing 5,000 – 14,000 pounds. Elephants live in herds that wander 37 African countries in search of roots, grasses, fruit and bark. A single elephant can eat up to 300 pounds of food a day! Elephants use their trademark long trunks for smelling, breathing, trumpeting, drinking and picking up objects. African elephants are listed as vulnerable due to poaching for their ivory tusks and habitat loss. Current estimates put the wild population of these giant creatures at 415,000.
Allen's Swamp Monkey
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Allen’s swamp monkeys are native to the swamps and lowland forests of west central Africa, specifically the Congo basin to western Zaire. Swamp monkeys have a stockier build than most primates, standing 18-20 inches tall and weighing six to 13 pounds, with males being much larger than females. The Swamp monkey’s Latin name refers to their coloring with “nigro” meaning black and “viridis” meaning green. Swamp monkeys live near water sources, with their webbed fingers and toes making them good swimmers. They even swim to escape predation from raptors, snakes and bonobos. The species is listed as near threatened due to being hunted for bushmeat.
Amur Tiger
CITES Appendix I
Amur tigers are also known as Siberian tigers. They average 10 feet in length and weigh 390- 660 pounds. Each individual animal has a unique set of stripes that provides crucial camouflage. It is believed only 400 Amur tigers remain in a remote temperate forest section of Far East Russia. Amur tigers are nocturnal hunters that prey on elk and boar; however, in their native range prey is becoming increasingly scarce. Other threats facing Amur tigers today are poaching for illegal wildlife trade and habitat loss due to poaching.
Andean Bear
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Andean bears, also known as Andean short-faced bears or Spectacled bears for their unique facial markings, are the only bear species native to South America. Andean bears live in the humid cloud forests of the Andes Mountains and eat a varied diet of plants, fallen fruit, small mammals, insects and carrion. They have shaggy brown or black fur with white or yellowish rings/markings around their eyes that, along with chest and neck markings, are unique to each bear. It is estimated that 95% of the Andean bear’s native habitat has been destroyed or fragmented due to logging and agriculture. Other threats facing Andean bears include human bear conflict and poaching for trophy hunting or use in traditional Chinese medicine.
Bactrian Camel
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Bactrian camels are herbivores that have two humps to store fat to be converted to water or energy when food is scarce. These camels are native to the rocky deserts of central and east Asia. They have special adaptations to allow them to survive and thrive in brutal temperature extremes, including two rows of long eyelashes and bushy eyebrows to protect their eyes and the ability to close their nostrils to keep sand and snow out. Bactrian camels can grow to be over seven feet tall and weigh in excess of 1,800 pounds. Bactrian camels are the only species of camels left in the wild, with surviving wild herds believed to number less than 1,000 animals.
Bornean Orangutan
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Orangutans are arboreal apes that are only native to the tropical rainforests on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. They are incredibly intelligent, reddish-orange colored great apes whose name in Malay literally means “man or person of the forest.” Orangutans are also some of the closest animal relatives of humans, sharing almost 97% of DNA with us. As adults, orangutans stand four to five feet tall and weigh 70-180 pounds. They are listed as a critically endangered species due to deforestation from the palm oil industry and the hunting of bush meat. It is believed there are less than 40,000 orangutans left in the wild.
Cheetah
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
CITES Appendix II
The word cheetah is derived from the ancient Indian Sanskrit word “chita/chitra” meaning distinctively marked. As their name suggests, cheetahs are easily recognized by their spots, which are unique to each individual animal. Cheetahs are the fastest land mammal, able to go from zero to 60 miles per hour in only three seconds. Adult cheetahs are three to four feet long and weigh 70-145 pounds. With only 7,000 – 10,000 left in Africa and Iran, cheetahs are listed as a vulnerable species due to their natural range being over-taken by human settlements.
Colobus Monkey
IUCN Status: Least Concern
The name Colobus monkey is derived from the Greek word for mutilated, as unlike other monkeys, Colobus do not have thumbs. Colobus monkeys are 18-27 inches tall, weigh 12-32 pounds, eat leaves and fruit and live in the forests of central Africa. Colobus are known for their black faces outlined with white fur and a streak of long white fur that runs down their back and tail. Unfortunately, this beauty comes at a price, as they are hunted for their fur to be used in the fashion industry.
Dingo
CITES Appendix II
Dingoes were introduced to Australia more than 3,000 years ago by European settlers but have become known as Australia’s wild dog. These omnivores now live in packs and eat opportunistically all across the island continent. Dingoes stand three to four feet tall and weigh 22-33 pounds. They are golden or reddish in color with pointed ears and golden or brown eyes. Dingoes bark and howl to communicate and are most active at dusk and dawn.
Emperor Tamarin
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Emperor tamarins are a small monkey native to the rainforest canopies of South and Central America. They have gray fur, a reddish tail, black hands and feet and a long, white mustache. It is thought they were named after German emperor, Wilhelm II, who had similar facial hair. Emperor tamarin eat flowers, fruit and small invertebrates. They stand about 10 inches tall and weigh around one pound. Emperor tamarins populations are threatened by habitat loss and the pet trade.
Francois's Langur
IUCN Status: Endangered
CITES Appendix II
As an adult, a Francois’ langur has a long, black, silky coat with a white band of cheek fur and a pointed crest of hair on top of its head. A typical Francois’ langur baby, however, is predominantly orange. Biologists believe the orange color helps the baby blend in with foliage in the tree canopies of its native habitat in Vietnam, southeast China and central Laos. Fewer than 2,500 Francois’ langurs are estimated to survive in the wild, with hunting and habitat loss contributing to their imperiled status.
Grant's Zebra
IUCN Status: No record
Grant’s zebras stand approximately four feet tall and weigh 500-700 pounds. Zebra are actually black animals with white stripes that are unique to each individual animal. Zebra can run up to 40 miles per hour and are essentially the “groundskeepers” for the savannas and grasslands of eastern Africa. While they are herbivores that graze on grass, they eat the old growth grass and stems and leave the more tender portions and new growth for other species. Additionally, the movement of the herd for food tramples down the land and repeated hoof scrapes stimulate grass growth.
Gray Wolf
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Gray wolves stand 36-63 inches tall and weigh 40-175 pounds. Despite their name, gray wolf coat colors can vary from pure white, to brown, black, cinnamon or gray. They typically live and hunt in packs of six to 10 animals. Research has shown packs to maintain a range of 50-1000 miles, roaming up to 12 miles per day in search of food. Gray wolves were historically the most widely distributed mammals in the world, however, with human expansion overtaking their native wilderness and fear of the predator on the rise, the range and population of wolves dramatically decreased.
Greater Kudu
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Greater kudu are the undisputed king of horns! These herbivores are native to the woodlands and bushes of Africa. Kudu have natural camouflage with their gray or brown fur and four to 12 vertical stripes and spots. Adult male kudu stand about 55 inches at the shoulder and weigh 420-600 pounds, while the females are significantly smaller. Only males have the signature spiral horns that make two and a half impressive twists and can grow to be 72 inches long. The species is hunted for their horns and are threatened by human encroachment for charcoal burning and farming.
Grey Seal
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Grey seals can actually be grey, tan or spectacled in color and have shiny white whiskers. They are native to the cool waters and rocky shores of the Atlantic Ocean. They have two layers of thick fur and a blubber layer for warmth and can grow to six to 11 feet in length and 330-660 pounds. They breed on land but live in the water using their webbed flippers with five strong claws on each to eat fish, squid and sand eels. Grey seal populations are threatened by hunting, by-catch and disease.
Grizzly Bear
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Grizzly bears are a North American sub-species of brown bears. They are the smallest of the subspecies and have a diet higher in vegetation than the other sub-species. Grizzlies can raise up to a standing height of six to seven feet and measure three and a half feet at the shoulder on all fours. Adult male brown bears can weigh from 300 to over 1,000 pounds and females 200-450 pounds. Grizzlies were once widespread throughout western and plain states; however, their population decreased dramatically with the development of the west. Today, only 2,300 live in the four states of Wyoming, Montana, Idaho and Washington.
Harbor Seal
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Harbor seal are pinnipeds (earless seals) that have a round head, short snout and vary widely in color of their thick, short hairs, from black to white and silver to spotted. They eat fish, crustaceans and cephalopods and can grow to be five to seven feet long and weigh 300-400 pounds. While they are protected under US and Canadian law, subsistence harvesting by native Alaskans is still permitted. The harbor seal population is also threatened by water pollution, by-catch and disease.
Hippopotamus
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Hippopotamus are iconic amphibious herbivores that can grow to five feet tall, 11-17 feet in length and weigh 3,000- 9,900 pounds. Hippos are found throughout sub-Sahara Africa, spending most of the day in the water/mud to keep their skin moist and moving onto land at night to feed on grass. While hippos cannot swim or float, they can see, hear and breathe while most of their body is underwater. When threatened can run up to 14 miles per hour! Hippos are listed as vulnerable with declining populations due to illegal hunting for meat and ivory found in their canine teeth, habitat loss, human/hippo conflict and civil unrest throughout their natural range.
Indian rhinoceros
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Indian rhinoceros, also known as greater one-horned rhinos, are native to India and Nepal. They are 10 – 12 ½ feet in length, stand about six feet tall at the shoulder and weigh 4,000 – 6,000 pounds. Their trademark horn can be 8 - 24 inches long. They have a prehensile or gripping lip to eat grass, fruit and even farm crops. Indian rhinos forage in the morning and retreat to wallows in the afternoon to beat the heat. Unlike rhinos from Africa, Indian rhinos can tolerate colder temperatures, have only one horn and segmented skin that looks like armor. They are grayish brown in color, hairless and can charge at up to 30 miles per hour. Indian rhinos are listed as a vulnerable species with a wild population of less than 3,000 animals. The main threat to Indian rhinoceros is poaching for their horn. Rhinoceros horns are made of keratin, just like human fingernails, and are used in traditional Chinese medicine and considered a prized decoration in Africa and the Middle East. Thankfully, wild Indian rhino populations are strictly protected by the federal governments of India and Nepal and are currently increasing.
Koala
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Koalas are easily recognized by their large, leathery nose and big ears. They are naturally solitary and basically sedentary creatures that reside in eucalyptus forests and woodlands of Australia. Koalas sleep 18 to 22 hours a day and are active at night. In their digestive tract koalas have a special bacteria that breaks down the harmful compounds of eucalyptus, allowing an individual to eat one to two pounds of leaves a day! Koalas population numbers are declining due to habitat loss, predation from dogs, disease and climate change. It is thought there are only 43,000 to 80,000 koalas left in the wild.
Kodiak Bear
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Kodiak bears are a sub-species of brown bear found only on Kodiak Island, Alaska. They eat mainly salmon and other fish and are the largest of the three subspecies. Kodiak bears can raise up to a standing height of more than 10 feet tall and measure five feet at the shoulder on all fours. Adult male brown bears can weigh from 300 to over 1,000 pounds and females 200-450 pounds depending on the subspecies and food availability. Male bears weigh almost two time as much as female bears. In May of 2015, Dodge and his siblings were orphaned when their mother was shot by an unguided hunter on Kodiak Island. The young cubs were then rushed to the Alaska Zoo for immediate care and rearing for approximately six months while arrangements were made for permanent homes with the help of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Kodiak Brown Bear Trust. Upon his arrival at the Zoo, Dodge was introduced to the two rescued Grizzlies and the three currently reside together.
Linne's Two-Toed Sloth
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Two-toed sloths are native to the rain forests of Central and South America. They are about two feet long and weigh around 17 pounds. With their powerful grip and long claws, sloths are perfectly built for life in the treetops. Sloths hang for most of the lives, even while sleeping, eating, mating and giving birth. Sloths move so slow that algae can grow on their fur, turning it a greenish color and acting as a form of camouflage. Besides being slow, sloths sleep between 15 and 20 hours a day. Even when they are not asleep they are often motionless and silent. Interestingly, while they are superb climbers, sloths are clumsy and vulnerable on the ground yet their long arms make them good swimmers!
Maned Wolf
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Maned wolves are the tallest canid in the world standing about three feet at the shoulder. Its long legs help the maned wolf to see over the tall grasses of its native habitat in South America. Maned wolves weigh approximately 50 pounds and are omnivores that eat small birds, mammals, vegetation and fruit. They have a reddish brown coat with a dark mane on their back and large ears. They are known for their distinctive odor that some say smells skunk-like. Maned wolf populations are declining due to human encroachment and being hunted for their body parts, which some believe have magical powers.
Masai Giraffe
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Giraffes are the tallest land mammals, standing 14-18 feet tall as adults. Each giraffe has a unique spot pattern, but giraffes from the same geographical area appear similar. Masai giraffes are native to Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania and have distinct oak leaf spot patterns that serve as camouflage in the African plains. Giraffes are listed as a vulnerable species with declining population due to four main causes: habitat loss, civil unrest, illegal hunting/poaching and ecological changes.
Meerkat
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Meerkats are members of the mongoose family that have looks similar to squirrels or weasels. They weigh less than two pounds, stand nine to 12 inches tall and have a tail that is seven to 10 inches long. They are native to the Kalahari Desert of Africa and eat insects, lizards, birds and fruit. They are very social animals that live in large communities, called mobs, made up of several families. The group works together to create an intricate system of underground burrows, complete with separate areas for sleeping, restrooms and entrances large enough to hold several meerkats in the event of a predator threat.
Mongoose Lemur
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Mongoose lemurs are native to dry deciduous forests in northwestern Madagascar and eat fruit, flowers and nectar. They live as a small family with a monogamous pair and offspring. Male mongoose lemurs have gray or brown coats with a brown band of fur around their shoulders and neck and a brown beard, while females are lighter gray in color with dark gray faces and white necks. Mongoose lemurs are listed as critically endangered due to being hunted for food and their habitat destroyed for slash and burn agriculture.
Naked Mole Rat
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Naked Mole Rats are three to four inch long mammals that eat tubers and roots and live in large social groups under the desert ground in the Horn of Africa. One group’s elaborate tunnel system can be the size of six football fields and studies have shown that specific rooms within the tunnel system have designated purposes, including a nursery, restrooms and food storage. Naked mole rats, also known as sand-puppies, have round bodies with wrinkly skin, tiny eyes and two large buck teeth. Contrary to popular belief, they are not blind, but do rely more on sound, smell and touch.
Polar Bear
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
CITES Appendix II
Polar bears are the largest carnivorous land mammal on earth and have no natural predators, except humans. They are native to Canada, Alaska, Russia, Norway and Greenland. Adult polar bears are seven - eight feet long and can weigh 900-1,600 pounds. Polar bears are listed as a vulnerable species and as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act due to loss of Arctic sea ice from climate change. The Zoo supports Polar Bear International’s efforts to conserve the great white bear and its habitat through research and monitoring. In the past few years, the Zoo has helped purchase GPS collars and ear tags to help study the movements of bears.
Red Panda
IUCN Status: Endangered
Red pandas are from the mountains of Nepal, Myanmar and China. They are often recognized by their 12-20 inch long, bushy ringed tail that they can wrap around themselves to keep warm. They grow to be 12-20 pounds with a 20-26 inch body. Contrary to popular belief, red pandas are not related to giant pandas; they are their own unique scientific family. Red pandas live in trees, even sleeping aloft and eat bamboo, fruit and roots. Interestingly, they have an extended wrist bone that functions almost as a thumb. They are listed as vulnerable due to deforestation, logging and agriculture. with less than 10,000 red pandas surviving in the wild.
Reindeer
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Reindeer and caribou are the same animal- caribou refers to wild animals while reindeer is the domesticated term. Reindeer live in herds as large as 500,000 in Canada, Alaska, Greenland, northern Europe and Asia. At their shoulder, reindeer stand between 33-59 inches tall and can weigh 121–470 pounds. They eat moss, herbs, ferns and grass, consuming nine to 18 pounds of food per day. They vary in color depending on habitat and time of year and are covered in hair from their nose to the bottom of their feet. Both male and female reindeer grow antlers each year, with females being about 20 inches long while male antlers can be up to 51 inches long.
Ring-tailed Lemur
IUCN Status: Endangered
CITES Appendix I
Ring-tailed lemurs are a primate species native only to the dry forests of southern Madagascar and the surrounding islands. They are easily recognized by their long, black and white striped tails and piercing eyes. These social animals live in female dominated groups called troops and huddle together in “lemur balls” to stay warm and maintain social bonds. Because of habitat destruction, hunting, the pet trade and population segmenting ring-tailed lemurs are listed as an endangered species.
Snow Leopard
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Snow leopards have pale green, grayish white coats with large black spots and a long tail. They are native to the mountains of central Asia and are endangered due mainly to human-wildlife conflict, specifically retaliatory killings for preying upon farmers’ livestock along with climate change and human encroachment. Current estimates of the wild population are 4,000 – 6,600 and declining. Zoo staff works with big cat conservation group Panthera to radio collar snow leopards in Kyrgyzstan. In 2016, the work in remote conditions proved incredibly successful as they were able to place GPS tracking collars on two new male snow leopards. The collar sends satellite signals that pin point the snow leopard’s location. This allows researchers to track the cat and for the first time learn about the daily activities and habits of the rarely seen creatures.
NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTER
IUCN Status: Least Concern
North American river otters live both on land and in the water and are the most abundant of the otter species. They are known to socialize in groups and exhibit a variety of playful behaviors, including twisting, turning, diving, rolling, sliding and burrowing. They have muscular bodies, short legs, webbed feet with claws and a long tail. They average 10-33 pounds and between two and five feet in length, with females being significantly smaller than males. River otters can swim up to eight miles per hour and dive more than 36 feet deep. Additionally, they are well adapted for aquatic life, as they have a third eyelid that allows them to see under the surface and their ears and nostrils close underwater. This species consumes a variety of aquatic creatures, along with insects and small mammals. When frightened, North American river otters let out an ear piercing scream that can be heard over a mile away.
Tasmanian Devil
IUCN Status: Endangered
Tasmanian devils are the largest living carnivorous marsupial. Males weigh about 18 pounds and average two feet in length while females weigh about 13 pounds and average 20 inches in length. They are black all over with white marks on their chest and sometimes on their rumps. Tasmanian devils eat small mammals and birds and are only found on the island of Tasmania, not mainland Australia. Their foreboding expression, black color and terrible scream helped earn the “devil” nickname. We are partnering with Save the Tasmanian Devil Program to help study and conserve this iconic species. In recent years, Tasmanian devils have seen a rapid decline in wild populations due to cancerous facial tumors that are spread through infected cells dropping from one devil into an open wound of another during shared, ferocious feeding of a kill. It is estimated that 90% of wild devils have died from this disease, leading devils to be listed as an endangered species.
Warthog
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Warthogs are herbivores that graze upon grasses and roots across central and southern Africa. In the same family as domestic pigs, warthogs stand about 30 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh 120- 205 pounds. They get their name from the protective bumps on their over-sized flat heads that resemble warts and are mostly bald except for a sparse mane on their backs and a tuft of hair on their tail. Warthogs have four sharp tusks, two semi-circle shaped upper tusks and two lower tusks with sharp edges. Each tusk can grow to be 10 inches long!
Watusi Cattle
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Watusi cattle are also known as the cattle of kings and are native to eastern Africa, specifically Rwanda and Burundi. The 800-1,600 pound bovine are usually deep red in color with some white markings and have long legs that provide great agility and jumping ability. They have the largest horns of any cattle; 28 inches in circumference recorded! Those large horns actually act as a radiator or cooling system for the cattle, as they circulate blood through to the ends to disperse heat before returning to the rest of the body.
Western Lowland Gorilla
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
Western lowland are four to six feet tall as adults and can 150- 400 pounds. They live in the heavy rainforests of west central Africa and eat a vegetarian diet of roots, fruits and plants. Western lowland gorillas are known to live in the smallest troops of gorillas, consisting of four to eight animals, with one silverback male, a few females, young offspring and occasionally a few young males maintaining an up to 16 square mile home range. Western lowland gorillas declining due to three main interconnected threats: habitat loss, bushmeat hunting and human encroachment.
White-cheeked Gibbon
IUCN Status: Critically Endangered
White cheeked gibbons are arboreal primates native to the tropical and monsoon forests of Laos, Vietnam and southern China. They have black, leathery faces with big eyes and all black coats with their name-sake white puffs of fur on their cheeks. Babies are born beige in color, which biologists believe helps to camouflage them in the canopy. At age one or two, the babies will turn all black. This species of gibbons stands 18- 25 inches tall and weighs 15-20 pounds. They have long arms (twice the length of their legs) and gripping feet to help them brachiate, or swing from limb to limb. White-cheeked gibbons have a home range of 75-100 acres and travel about a mile per day in search of ripe fruit, leaves and small invertebrates.
Yak
IUCN Status: Vulnerable
Yaks have shaggy, double layered, ankle-length wool coats to insulate their bodies against frigid conditions their native Himalayan Mountains. They secrete a sticky substance in their sweat that helps mats down the under layer of hair and is used in traditional Nepalese medicine. Yaks also have large handlebar-shaped horns that are used for defense against predators and to break through snow and ice to eat the plants frozen below. They consume between one and three percent of their body weight in food each day. Another fun fact is yaks can stand with all four hooves on a very small flat surface.
Aruba Island Rattlesnake
The Aruba Island rattlesnake uses heat-sensing pits on its head to help locate prey such as rodents, birds and lizards. The snake is quite colorful being light brown with pink, blue and brown diamond markings. They live in the rocky hillsides and sandy fields of Aruba and average three feet in length. The populations is threatened by human encroachment, poaching and competition from non-native species. Toledo Zoo has a 28-year history of actively working on Aruba to conserve the Aruba Island rattlesnake. We continue to monitor the wild populations of the rattlesnake through condition indices and mark/recapture study. We are also studying the ecology of the rattlesnake’s primary food source, the Aruba whiptail lizard. In addition, a formal training session in Aruban herpetology followed up with field workshops was conducted for Aruba’s National Park personnel in 2017.
Bushmaster
Bushmasters are the second longest venomous snake in the world, at six to 10 feet long. They are a species of pit vipers that are found in the scrublands and forest floors from the Amazon basin to Costa Rica. They are reddish-brown or gray to blend in with the groundcover and have an x or diamond-shaped marking on their back. These nocturnal, solitary snakes weigh six to 11 pounds and use infrared pits on their head to locate prey, including small mammals. Their scientific name means mute in Latin, as they vibrate when alarmed like a rattlesnake but do not have a rattle to make noise. These snakes are imperiled due to habitat destruction.
Crocodile Red-Eyed Skink
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Crocodile red-eyed skinks have triangular-shaped heads with an orange ring around each eye. Interestingly, a skink’s tails makes up half of its body length. This prehistoric-looking animal is native to New Guinea and is usually found near a water source. This reptile can grow to be eight to 10 inches long as an adult and has chevrons on its back, giving it an armored appearance. This elusive creature eats insects and has no natural predators in its home range. Accordingly, when under distress their only defenses are a high-pitched squawk or bark or to freeze and play dead.
Cuban Boa
IUCN Status: Near Threatened
Cuban boas are light brown or tan with dark markings and are found in the tropical dry forests of Cuba and the surrounding islands. Young Cuban boa are arboreal, meaning live in trees, while adults are more terrestrial, or live on land. Interestingly, they use their tongue to smell and help locate prey such as small mammals, birds and lizards. Cuban boas can grow to be 13 feet long and weigh up to 60 pounds. As their native range is a small island, they are easily threatened by natural disasters and interactions with humans. The Zoo is working with the US Navy to use radiotelemetry to track the habitat use and activity patterns of the largest snake in the Caribbean. We are now concentrating on the reproductive biology of the Cuban boa, including reproductive timing & behaviors such as mate fidelity and reproductive efforts across size classes. Twenty-six boas were radio-tracked over a total of 56 days at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay in 2017.
Galapagos Tortoise
Galapagos tortoises are herbivores that are native to their namesake island in the Pacific Ocean west of South America. In addition to being the world’s largest tortoise, they are also the longest lived-vertebrate at more than 100 years. Adult Galapagos tortoises measure four to six feet in length and their big, round dome or shell can be four to five feet across. They eat grass, leaves, flowers and cacti, rest approximately 16 hours a day and move at only .16 miles per hour. While Galapagos tortoises are now protected, they are still threatened by non-native species on their home island. The Zoo has three juvenile Galapagos tortoises on exhibit in the Reptile House and Emerson, our 100+ year old adult male, on exhibit in Galapagos Garden (summer) or the Conservatory (winter.)
Green Anaconda
Green anaconda are the largest snake in the world, weighing up to 550 pounds, and measuring 17-30 feet in length and 12 inches in diameter. As their name suggests, they are green with black patches on their back. Interestingly, the scales on the underside of a Green anacaond’s tail have a pattern unique to each individual snake. They live in the swamps of South America’s tropical rainforests and feed on wild pigs, deer, birds, turtles and even jaguars. They ambush their prey, either clutching it in their jaws and submerging in water to drown or coiling around and squeezing until blood flow stops and it suffocates.
Green Mamba
Green mamba’s scientific name means tree snake with a long, narrow head in ancient Greek. Green mambas, like their name implies, are bright almost neon green snakes that average six to seven feet in length. These snakes are fairly common in their native range of Tanzania, Zimbabwe and southern Africa. Additionally, these venomous creatures are arboreal, meaning they live in trees. They occasionally descend to the ground to forage, drink and sun but quickly retreat to higher ground. Green mambas hatch from eggs being a blue green color and get greener with each skin shedding. They are the smallest of the four species of mambas and prey on small mammals, birds, eggs and rodents. These snakes are known to strike quickly (they can move as fast as 7 miles per hour) and bite multiple times, injecting large amounts of venom into their prey.
Kihansi Spray Toad
IUCN Status: Extinct in Wild
The Kihansi spray toad (KST) is a tiny, goldenrod colored amphibian that is native only to the spray zone (where the falling water meets the rocks) of the waterfall in the Kihansi Gorge in Tanzania. Kihansi spray toads went extinct in the wild 2003-04, as the developing country looked for ways to spread electricity to its people. The building of hydroelectric facilities on the Kihansi River drastically reduced the water flow of the KST’s native waterfall, causing the entire toad population, some 30,000, to congregate in the extremely small remaining spray zone. At that point, conservationists from across the globe took notice and action to create an assurance population. After some trials and tribulations, Toledo Zoo and the Bronx Zoo are now recognized as leaders in Kihansi spray toad conservation. Periodically, the Zoo ships 500-1,100 toads reared in its captive breeding program back to Tanzania to be reintroduced into their native Gorge. So far, Toledo Zoo has helped release over 5,000 toads back into the wild. The tiny toads continue to be observed in the Gorge, giving researchers reasons to be optimistic that the wild population can become self-sustaining in the near future.
Leaf-Tailed Gecko
IUCN Status: Least Concern
Leaf-tailed geckos, also known as flat-tailed geckos, are four to 12 inch long reptiles that are native to the dense tropical jungles of Madagascar and the surrounding islands. Leaf-tailed geckos have scales and can be green, black, brown or tan. They get their name from broad tail that resembles a leaf or tree bark. Interestingly, this carnivorous predator with large eyes also has sticky toes to cling to a tree or branch, even vertically. All of these adaptations help the gecko blend in to its habitat and hide from predators, such as owls, rats and snakes. These little lizards eat spiders, worms and a variety of insects. The species is listed as threatened due to habitat loss from drastic deforestation on the islands.
Red Spitting Cobra
Red spitting cobras are native to eastern Africa where they prey upon frogs, toads, small reptiles, birds and eggs. As their name suggests, these snakes are red with a black or blue band around their throat and are capable of spitting venom six to eight feet. While they only spit in defense, they have impeccable accuracy to send venom straight into the eyes of their attacker, temporarily blinding them and giving the snake time to get away. Red spitting cobras average five feet in length and their coloration deepens as they mature.
Reticulated Python
Reticulated pythons grow to be the longest snakes in the world at 15-20 feet. Reticulatus means “net-like” in Latin and refers to the snakes intricate color pattern. These snakes are common in rainforests, woodlands and grasslands, typically near a water source, throughout southeast Asia and nearby islands. These ambush predators feed on a variety of small mammals and birds by constricting their prey. As with all pythons, retics as they are affectionately known, are nonvenomous and not considered a threat to humans. With their sheer size, adult pythons have extremely few natural predators.
Saltwater Crocodile
Saltwater crocodiles are the largest living crocodiles at more than 17 feet in length and over 1,000 pounds. They are dark green and brown with dark spots or stripes and cream-colored underbelly. Salties, as Australians know them, eat anything they can get in their jaws in the salt waters of India, Asia and Australia. When prey stop for a drink at the water’s edge, the croc explodes out of the water, grabs the prey, drags it in and drowns it. Saltwater crocodiles are imperiled due to poaching for their hides, habitat loss and human fear of the predator. Baru our saltwater crocodile, is one of the largest of his species in North America and was brought to the Zoo by Block Communications, Inc.
Tuatara