Tuesday 17 June 2014

Endangered species baby boom at National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute

The Smithsonian's National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute celebrated several births recently. During the past several weeks, 31 new residents have been born, many of which were endangered species.

A short-eared elephant shrew was born May 8 at the Zoo's Small Mammal House. The short-eared elephant shrew is the smallest of the 17 living species of elephant shrew, weighing between less than one-third of an ounce and 1.5 ounces at birth. It is too early to determine the baby's sex. Although the tiny shrew has been active since birth, it stayed hidden for the first few days of its life, which is normal. Keepers are now getting more glimpses of the shrew as it comes out of its den to explore. These insect-eating mammals' name comes from their noses' resemblance to the trunk of an elephant.




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