News Archive

Smithsonian's Global Health Program is a contributor to the partnership between the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute and India’s Central Zoo Authority. This collaboration aims to share best-practices in veterinary medicine and diagnostics with zoos in India, which are...

By: Lauren Augustine Happy Reptile Awareness Day! This Croc blog is going to be a little different because it's actually about gharials! I recently visited India and I was able to see two amazing species in the wild: gharial and mugger crocodile. My colleagues and I were graciously hosted by local...

By Lauren Augustine Behind the Reptile Discovery Center (RDC) by the Komodo dragon and Chinese Alligators you can also see one of the most unique species of crocodilians, the false gharial or Malayan gharial or tomistoma. This species is characterized by its slender jaws, hence its scientific name...

By Lauren Augustine Summer has officially arrived in DC! And while visitors to the Zoo often flock to shade or the air conditioned buildings (like the Reptile Discovery Center), some animals are reveling in the heat—like our crocodiles. Crocodiles are ectothermic, meaning their body temperature is...

By Lauren Augustine I bet you didn't know that we train our crocodiles—that's right crocodiles can learn! We use operant conditioning techniques much like the mammal and bird keepers at the Zoo. There are a few reasons keepers at the Reptile Discovery Center use operant conditioning to train the...