Eleven Views of the Smithsonian National Zoo #7

My next stop was the Small Mammal House.  Of all of the concepts that zoos have ever undertaken as a means of housing and displaying their collections, the small mammal house is both completely logical and potentially abhorrent at the same time.  I first really gave thought to this on my first visit to the Philadelphia Zoo.  It's the oldest zoo in America, and its Small Mammal House is one of its oldest exhibition spaces.  And it SUCKS!  I LOVE the Philadelphia Zoo.  It is very innovative in many ways.  Its use of large animal "overhead habi-trails" for its great apes and large cats has revolutionized the quality of life for these species in zoos across the world.  But its Small Mammal House has got to be renovated!  I would tell them to come to DC and see what the Smithsonian Zoo has done and is doing to bring the concept into the modern age of animal care.  Every time I visit this space, I am heartened just a little bit more by the quality improvements of the animals housed here.

 Entering to a pair of Golden Lion Tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia) was a stunning way to begin.  These little primates are so incredibly beautiful.  Their ginger hair has a quality to it not unlike fiber optic cable.  Seriously.  And from here I experienced well over a dozen or more unique species of small mammals--mostly.

 Screaming Hairy Armadillo (Chaetophractus vellerosus)

 Degu (Octodon degus)

 Red Ruffed Lemurs (Varecia rubra)

 The keeper arrived and all the Lemurs lined up for lunch!

 Red-rumped Agouti (Dasyprocta leporina)

Long-tailed Chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera) 

Dwarf Mongoose (Helogale parvula) 

Additionally, I discovered a series of outside habitats on the back side of the structure that I had never seen before and among there inhabitants were White-nosed Coatimundi (Nasua narica) and Black Howler Monkeys (Alouatta caraya).  One space was connected to the Red Ruffed Lemur's interior habitat--so they also spent time outside.  (Given the more expansive home of the Ring-tailed Lemurs and the Black and White Ruffed Lemurs, it only seems fair).