Woodland Park Zoo Blog

Posted by Gigi Allianic, Communications Photos by Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Rhinoceros ratsnake by Cezary Borysiuk  via Flickr. New species of snakes, lizards, amphibians and other reptiles will make Woodland Park Zoo their new home in fall 2024. The zoo’s Adaptations Building is currently closed until a major refresh is made to bring in and share these new animals with zoo guests. The Adaptations Building will be transformed into a new Indo-Pacific Islands forest and will showcase endangered and threatened species that range from the forest floors to the verdant treetops of Southeast Asia and Oceania. In addition, the new gallery of exhibits will offer a more complete story about the biodiversity in Southeast Asia’s and Oceania’s tropical conservation hotspots. The exhibit will feature a diversity of species including Asian box turtle and rhinoceros ratsnake. The new reptile and amphibian exhibit will take visitors through the diverse habitats of Southeast Asia and...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Photos: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Hello, Kaa! Snakes "smell" with their tongues, or more precisely use them to pick up scents in the air.  July 16 is World Snake Day, a day to appreciate these amazing and often misunderstood reptiles. All over the world, snakes play a vital role in maintaining balance in ecosystems—both as predators and as prey. Who better to serve as an ambassador for all of snake-dom than Kaa, our 19-year-old, male reticulated python. Our animal keepers estimate that Kaa is currently around 17 feet long and probably weighs between 125-135 pounds. Kaa—who is named after the Jungle Book character—arrived at Woodland Park Zoo 11 years ago and he currently lives in a habitat maintained just for him in the Trail of Vines area right next to our orangutan habitat. Reticulated pythons are native to southeast Asia and, when full grown, are among the longest snakes in the world—and they keep growing throughout ...

Posted by Elizabeth Bacher, Communications Salem & Knox: These handsome corn snake brothers are besssssst buds! Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo  We’d like you to get to know two snakes that are very special to us: Salem and Knox. These 5-year-old corn snake brothers joined our zoo family as youngsters and they’re still as close as can be! Corn snakes are non-venomous and come in many different colors and patterns. Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren/Woodland Park Zoo Corn snakes are a North American species of rat snake that subdues its prey by constriction or squeezing. They are not venomous. They can come in many different colors and patterns which allows for occasional misidentification as a more dangerous species, but are generally harmless to humans. In nature, corn snakes are very important for pest control. It is thought they got their name because they can often be found near corn and grain storage areas, where they help control rodent populations. ...