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From the Bureau of Land Management:
“Snakes on a Plane” has nothing on Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area’s intrepid Laverne Dickey and Jim Cribbs. On May 1, they rescued a scared, little Northern Mojave Rattlesnake from near the visitor center and safely released him to less visited area nearby.
Full-grown, the Northern Mojave rattlesnake is about three to four feet long and is also known as Mojave green because of its green hue. It has a potent neurotoxic and hemotoxic venom. Its preferred habitat at Red Rock Canyon is scrub brush, low areas of sparse vegetation among the Joshua trees and open, arid areas. Mojave greens are most active from April to September.
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From the Bureau of Land Management:
How cute is this young horned lizard?
This roundtail horned lizard is one of the smallest of the horned lizards, reaching an adult length of only about 7.5-10 cm (3-4 in).
This lizard lays egg clutches of up to 9 eggs in early summer. The color of roundtail horned lizards usually reflects the color of the soil in their native habitat. Watch out for them when hiking – they will flatten their bodies and remain motionless when threatened. Their favorite place to hang out is near ant colonies for food.
Image description: Ambika is an Asian elephant that lives at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. She was given to the Zoo as a gift from the children of India in 1961.
Meet Ambika and the other elephants.
Photo by Mehgan Murphy, Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Image description: The National Zoo’s three-month-old sloth bear cub is male.
The cub was born on December 19 and has spent the past 13 weeks bonding with Hana, his mother, in a den near the Asia Trail exhibit. Animal care staff and the public have had the opportunity to watch Hana nurture the cub and watch him play and grow via the live Sloth Bear Cub Cam.
The information gathered from watching their behavior will be shared with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums for the benefit of other institutions that exhibit and want to breed this species. The cub’s first veterinary exam is planned in the next few weeks and the family’s public debut will take place later this summer.
Photo by Courtney Janney, Smithsonian’s National Zoo
Image description: Shanthi, an Asian elephant, plays in the new Elephant Community Center at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo. The Zoo recently opened a new home for its elephants that provides indoor and outdoor access year round.
Photo by Andrea Pohlman, Smithsonian’s National Zoo
. This lizard lays egg clutches of up to 9 eggs in early summer. The color of roundtail horned lizards usually reflects the color of the soil in their native habitat. Watch out for them when hiking – they will flatten their bodies and remain motionless when threatened. Their favorite place to hang out is near ant colonies for food.)
