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Hippos are some of the world’s biggest animals—they can weigh up to 7,000 pounds, which is more than most SUVs. Animals this big need to fuel up with a lot of food. Hippos in the wild eat at night, when it’s cool enough for them to leave their mud wallows and head ashore for grass, herbs, and leaves. A hippo can eat up to 200 pounds of food in one night! However, menu for the hippos at the Philadelphia Zoo is a little different. The Zoo’s hippos eat 12 pounds of vegetation (mostly lettuce) a day, as well as herbivore pellets and about 50 pounds of hay. You can watch a video of their hippos chomping on some lettuce here.
There’s more on the Philadelphia Zoo’s website than just facts about how hippos eat. You can also learn all about these animals’ behavior, some facts about Cindy and Unna, the hippos living at the Zoo, and about how people are working to help hippos living in the wild. Check it out!
If you can’t wait a few weeks to see geese and ducks migrating over your neighborhood this spring, you’re in luck! The North Carolina Zoo sponsors the Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park, home to the largest waterfowl collection in North America, and even if you can’t get out there to visit them, you can see some of your favorite feathered friends on their website.
You can watch learn about their amazing swans, ducks, and geese, including the beautiful Black-necked swan. Watching videos of their birds will make you feel almost like you’re really there! Which one is your favorite?
Reading about the playful, intelligent, social wolves in Zoobooks might have reminded you of another animal: dogs. Dogs are descended from wolves, and while they have been domesticated over time, they still have much in common with their wild ancestors. The games and toys that wolves at the Hogle Zoo in Utah like to play with are also a lot of fun for dogs, and the keepers there have some tips for getting your dog in touch with its wild side. Try to engage your dog’s senses with toys that make sounds when played with, like paper bags or leaf piles, or have a scent that your dog will love, like a bone. Just make sure that the bone doesn’t have any splinters that could hurt your furry friend!
Don’t have a dog? The Hogle Zoo has some great tips for cat-lovers too. If you read Zoobooks Little Cats a few months ago, then you might remember learning about the speed, flexibility, and hunting skills of cats’ wild relatives. The Hogle Zoo’s keepers suggest toys that cats can chase and smell. The Hogle Zoo’s cats enjoy fresh herbs, feather chasers, and snake sheds—see what your cat thinks!
If you’re a big fan of the little cats from the latest issue of 
Zoobooks, check out the little cats at ZooAmerica in Hershey, Pennsylvania! This zoo is home to several kinds of little cats, ranging from the small, sleek ocelot to the enormous mountain lion, also known as the puma. ZooAmerica’s website lets you explore these animals and many others. For example, did you know that ocelots can swim? The website also gives conservation information about these amazing animals so that you can learn more about endangered species and get ideas about how to protect little cats in the wild.
With summer vacation coming up, you might even be able to pay the little cats at ZooAmerica a visit, but even if you can’t see them in real life, you can still have fun with the animals at this zoo with their online puzzle! Putting together the puzzle pieces in this game shows you a picture of one of their animals. When you put together the medium-level puzzle, you can see a picture of one of the biggest little cats!
Mother’s Day is coming up soon, but human parents aren’t the only ones who deserve a little extra love. Peggy, a type of little cat called a caracal, was named “Mom of the Year” at the Oregon Zoo, where she raised her three kittens Mzuke, Binti, and Aziza. Even though it was her first litter, Peggy was an attentive and loving mother.
Her kittens, which you can see here, looked very different as babies than they do now as adults. Grown-up caracals have very large tufted ears which they use to hear their prey when they’re hunting. When the kittens were very small, their ears were small and flat against their heads, but they perked up in no time. The games that the kittens played helped them learn the skills they would use as hunters when they grew up. Adult caracals can jump ten feet in the air and catch prey two to three times their size!
Mzuke, Binti, and Aziza grew up quickly, but who knows? Pretty soon, Mzuke, Binti, and Aziza might be starting families of their own!
Does the Pittsburgh Zoo really have flying monkeys around? The answer is no, but the white, heart-shaped faces of barn owls have led some people to call them “monkey owls.” And the Pittsburgh Zoo certainly does have barn owls!
These interesting owls were once plentiful across Pennsylvania and other parts of North America. As owls that prefer open spaces, barn owls moved into barn lofts and the attics of old houses when many of the world’s forests were cleared to make room for cities and farms throughout the 20th century.
With the decline of farming in North America, however, barns and other shelters barn owls have typically utilized are also on the decline, which threatens these owls. The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is conducting a breeding program and tracking research to help bring back the population.
We can help owls by setting aside wilderness ares where they can live. Forests can be selectively cut to leave corridors of trees for wildlife. We can also enforce laws that protect owls from being hunted and senselessly killed. A wise old owl would say that by working together, we can build a promising future for owls the world over.
What other unexpected tibias about owls are waiting for you at the Pittsburgh Zoo? All we will divulge is that this zoo not only answers your questions, but has some games to offer, too!
It is rare to see a baby owl in the wild, but luckily for us, the Cincinnati Zoo has a baby Eurasian eagle owl featured on its website! Click here to watch a video all about this cute and fuzzy baby owl, Caspian. She’s currently just 5 weeks old, and since Eurasian eagle owls are some of the biggest owls in the world, Caspian will quickly grow to be much, much bigger.
Recognizing owls can be pretty easy – you just have to look for a round face, big eyes, and a sharp, hooked bill. The face is almost completely covered by two large discs, called facial discs. Many owls also have feathers sticking up on their heads that look like ears. These are called ear tufts. 
It is not quite as easy to tell one kind of owl from another. You have to look carefully. For example, the Eurasian eagle owl and the great horned owl of North America share similarities of habit, vocalization, breeding biology, and appearance. Both have large ear tufts, and like most owls, their legs and feet are thickly covered with feathers that protect them from biting prey. Be sure to check out the Cincinnati Zoo’s Fact File about Caspian and her fellow Eurasian eagle owls so you can learn how to tell her apart from other owls!
Have you ever heard of the Gaboon Viper? We recommend you check out the Atlanta Zoo’s video about this fascinating snake to learn more about it! You’ll even find some fun facts with the video – did you know Gaboon Vipers have the longest fangs of any venomous snake?
We know what you’re thinking now…yikes, doesn’t that mean these snakes are dangerous? Don’t worry, many snakes only use venom because it is a good way to capture prey. This is good news, because it means they would rather not waste it on an animal (you) that they cannot eat.
Today, we know that most snakes are harmless to man, but many people are still afraid of them. Our ancestors had the good sense to treat poisonous snakes with a healthy respect, but also to recognize that all snakes are marvelous creatures. We should learn to do the same.
You can start with a great idea from the Atlanta Zoo. Make your very own stuffed snake from a recycled necktie, so you can practice hanging out with a snake! Feel free to let us know how your craft turns out by posting a photo to our Facebook page!
The Wild World of Zoobooks 