Animals

The lion is the tallest (to the shoulder) of the felines, and like other cats, lions have excellent senses. The body of a lion is marked by powerful legs, a strong jaw, and canine teeth over 3 inches long! The colors of a lion vary from yellowish to an ochre brown, with their undersides generally being lighter in color. Male lions feature their famous mane, which makes them the only cats to exhibit a distinction between the males and females.

The Amur tiger is the largest of all wild cats. Its orange coloring is paler than other tigers and stripes are brown rather than black and are widely spaced compared to other tigers.

The Arctic fox hunts in small bands (no more than 3) and they do not hibernate. In order to store food for the winter, they bury leftovers or hide them under stones.

The Bactarian camel has a thick, shaggy beige coat that provides warmth in the cold months, and during the warming, the coat falls away in large chunks to help cool the animal. To protect them from the sand and harsh conditions they live in, they have bushy eyebrows, a double row of long eyelashes, hair inside the ear, and they can tightly close their nostrils and lips to keep out flying sand.

Banded mongoose are social animals, living in an average group size of 20 individuals.

Barred owls are named for the bars on their chest.

Bat-eared foxes can use their large ears to locate beetle larvae buried underneath the ground.

Female Binturongs are usually bigger than males - about 20 % heavier! 

The black rhinoceros is best known for its two horns protruding from the skull, which are made of keratin. They have thick layered skin which protects them from the sharp grasses and thorns found in the African savannah. The upper lip of a black rhino is actually prehensile, which it uses to grasp leaves and twigs while feeding. With poor eyesight, this animal relies more on smell and hearing, thanks to a wide range of rotation on the ears to help detect sounds. These stocky creatures aren't actually black as the name may indicate. Their gray skin is color dependant on local soil conditions and wallowing behavior.

For the first time in the 100 year history of Potter Park Zoo, a black rhino calf has been born at the zoo! Jaali was born on Dec. 24, 2019.

Cotton-top tamarins tiny packages of power with keen eyesight, hearing, and smell for hunting and detecting danger. They're named for their crest of long white hair that flows from forehead to the nape of their neck that flows over their shoulders.

Bongos are shy animals and are easily frightened. Adult males usually live alone, while mothers and their young may form small groups. Bongos are mostly nocturnal, but are sometimes active during the day, too.

Eagle owls look very much like their great horned cousins, but are much larger birds. They have prominent ear tufts that are usually not raised upright.

A family favorite! At Farmyard EdVentures, you’ll find adorable goats, donkeys, pigs and a huge African tortoise. Take a break from your walk around the zoo and enjoy these fun farmyard animals!*

Anteaters walk on their “fists” so they can keep their claws sharp for digging into termite mounds.  Claws are also used in defense – they have been known to fight off large predators like jaguar.

The golden lion tamarin derives its name from a mane of long golden colored hair on the top of the head, cheeks and throat. Occasionally orange, black, or brown coloration is seen on the tail and forepaws of this squirrel sized monkey.

Wolf social structure is quite complex, consisting of a dominance hierarchy. A wolf’s place in the hierarchy determines when it is allowed to eat and is enforced by behavior cues like muzzle licking and tail position.

Magellanic penguins are medium-sized in regard to other penguins, with the males being larger than the females. Adults have black backs and white stomachs, like the classic tuxedo pattern. There are two black bands between the head and the breast, with the lower band being in an inverted horseshoe shape. Chicks and juveniles are grey-blue on their backs, with a more faded grey-blue color on their chest.

The mandrill is stout-bodied with a short non-prehensile tail, prominent brow ridges, and small, close-set, sunken eyes. The ribbed bare skin on the adult male’s cheeks is bright blue, with scarlet on the nose, with the beard and neck a yellowish color.

They are unlike other rattlesnakes, which normally feed on warm-blooded prey. They are reclusive and dangerous only because they frequent woodpiles and barns in search of food.

Meerkats are highly social, living in groups of up to 30 members. Generally the members of a group are all related. A few members of the group act as sentries while the others are foraging, and these sentries rotate throughout the day.

Eagles travel by soaring and gliding on thermals, which are columns of rising air, which allows them to cover great distances without flapping their wings.

Like other members of the weasel family (Mustelidae), river otters have long streamlined bodies with short legs. They have very dense, usually brown fur, with a long tail and webbed feet for swimming.

The Patagonian cavy, also called the Patagonian mara or Patagonian hare, is a large rodent species that can be found in central and southern Argentina.

Peafowl are colorful members of the pheasant family, and look distinctly different from one another. The male has a brilliant blue head and neck, with a small crown of bare shafted feathers on top of his head. Their elongated and trademark trains can be straightened behind the bird in an elaborate fan of blue-green “eyes”. The female is a mottled brown with buff under parts; and although the neck is metallic green, it is less splendid than the males. She also lacks the male’s long train but does have a crown. Peafowl have strong legs and feet and a thick bill that curves downward.

The Puerto Rican crested toad has textured, pebbled skin with striking marbled golden eyes and a distinctive long, upturned snout. Males are olive green and gold while females are more of a dull brown in color. The skin on females is rougher than that on the males, and they have a high crest above the eye while the crest on males is less defined.

Ravens are considered among the smartest in all bird species. In scientific experiments they have been able to solve complex problems.

Red Kangaroos are marsupials, meaning a mammal that carries offspring in a pouch.

The red panda has a soft and dense coat with a thick under-fur. Their face is light with dark markings, and rusty red stripes beneath each eye, similar to the markings of a raccoon. They have large, upright ears with a white spot on the inside. Red pandas have a long, bushy, reddish-brown tail with pale reddish rings which they use to cover their face and keep their noses warm in the cold.

Snow leopards are generally smaller than other big cats, but still exhibit a wide range of sizes. They are covered in long thick fur which has a base color that varies from smoky grey to a light yellow tan, with white under parts.

The largest member of the hornbill family, southern ground hornbills have black plumage with white flight feathers.

Spider monkeys have slender bodies with long, thin limbs and are usually all black, but occasionally there are flesh-colored rings around the eyes and white chin whiskers.

The western grey kangaroo typically has light grey-brown to dark chocolate-brown fur and large ears fringed with white hairs.