Minnesota is home to nine native species of turtle, from the more commonly found snapping and painted turtles, to the relatively elusive smooth softshell turtle found lurking in sandy river bottoms. The wood turtle is Minnesota’s most terrestrial turtle and in summer it prefers forested riverine habitat and adjacent open fields. Wood turtle populations have […]
Freshwater mussels are some of the most at-risk animals in the world. In North America, a mussel biodiversity hotspot, three quarters of the 300+ species are imperiled and 35 species are already extinct. Freshwater mussels were historically harvested in unsustainable numbers for the pearl button industry and today they face additional threats, including dams along […]
It’s likely that you have never seen, or maybe even heard of, two of Minnesota’s vanishing wildlife species. Small in size and increasingly less easy to find, it’s understandable why. Both the Dakota skipper (Hesperia dacotae) and the Poweshiek skipperling (Oarisma poweshiek) were once fairly common and widespread across western and southern Minnesota. But these […]
The Minnesota Zoo is home to nearly 5,000 individual animals that make up over 450 species, many of them threatened and endangered. The Zoo is also lucky enough to have hundreds of incredibly dedicated, intelligent, and creative staff and volunteers working every day to care for our animals and welcome our guests.
Ben Minerich, Conservation Specialist, […]
As the saying goes, “not all heroes wear capes!” With or without a cape, you can be a hero for local wildlife by taking action in your very own backyard!
Did you know that three-quarters of the world’s flowering plants and one-third of the food humans consume rely […]
Minnesota’s natural landscape looked very different in the not-so-distant past. Much of the state was once covered in expansive, biologically-diverse prairie. Tall grasses rolled in the wind. Pockets of bright wildflowers and roaming herds of bison dotted the scene. Today, nearly all of that native tallgrass prairie has been lost in the state as managed […]
For the Minnesota Zoo’s Conservation Department, the spring and summer field season is an especially busy time. Due to the seasonal variation in wildlife activity, the warmer months are often times when animals are most active and conditions are most conducive research. This coming field season is certainly not short on exciting activity. Here are […]
Minnesota winters can be harsh. From the below zero temperatures and winds that will take your breath away, to the onslaught of sudden blizzard conditions, safety is certainly a priority. Luckily, maintaining roads and sidewalks for safety does not necessitate harm for Minnesota’s freshwater and the wildlife that depends on it. With just a bit […]
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