Happy National Monkey Day!

Shout it from the roof tops, today we celebrate monkeys!

Today, we’re celebrating National Monkey Day! We wanted to take this opportunity to share a little bit about the golden lion tamarins we have roaming in our Upland Tropical Rain Forest exhibit!

Tamarins, also known as golden marmosets, are a tree-dwelling monkey that can be easy spotted by their vibrant golden color and lion-like mane. They have extremely long toes and claws that help them grab onto tree branches, navigate through the forest canopies and dig for insects and treats in the tree bark.

Tamarins have a very interesting social structure. They live in monogamous family units consisting of a breeding pair,  offspring and often extended family members. The entire family group has equal parts in helping to rear any young. Interestingly, twins are the norm for tamarin births!

Baby tamarins spend very little time away from their big family groups!

Native to the coastal rain forests of Brazil, this species is being threatened by deforestation and habitat loss. They were listed as an endangered species in 1982. Following this unfortunate discovery, many organizations, like the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, have worked on the Gold Lion Tamarin Conservation Program, aiming prevent extinction and to reintroduce tamarins back into their natural habitats. For many years, National Aquarium has participated in this program to help promote awareness of these amazing animals and their much-needed protection!

So – want the chance to go behind-the-scenes in our rain forest and meet our tamarins? 

We are giving one lucky winner of our Amazing Experiences Sweepstakes the opportunity to work side-by-side with our rain forest staff for a morning.

Go behind-the-scenes and learn what it takes to care for the diverse animals and plants that call the Upland Tropical Rain Forest their home. Your morning in the rain forest will include a meeting with our family of tamarin monkeys. They are real characters!

There are five great ways to be entered to win our sweepstakes! 

• Purchase any full price ticket online for a December visit
• Make a donation of $25 or more
• Purchase or renew your membership online
• Buy a gift ticket online
• Adopt an Animal

Click here to find out all the details about our Amazing Experiences Sweepstakes!

Stay tuned for more features on our once-in-a-lifetime sweepstakes prizes! Winners will be announced on our Facebook page starting December 17!

Iris? Camden? Luna? The final choices are in – help us name our baby sloth!

Following two weeks of accepting name suggestions as part of a naming contest for the Linne’s two-toed sloth born in Baltimore in late August, today we are announcing the following names for final consideration:

• Iris – In honor of the beautiful flower
• Camden – In honor of the city it was born in, Baltimore, and the winning baseball season
• Waylay – Meaning surprise, like the baby was for Ivy
• Izzy – Submitted by a teacher on behalf of a Frederick County Public Schools elementary class that selected the name
• Luna – Meaning moon in Spanish

A panel of National Aquarium staff from various departments, including those from our rain forest exhibit where the baby sloth resides, reviewed and considered all 1,726 entries that were submitted for the baby sloth, the third born at National Aquarium. Although the panel was originally tasked with selecting four names, they were overwhelmed by the amount of incredible responses and decided to include one more option!

Visit www.aqua.org/slothcontest between now and November 15 to vote on your favorite name!

This baby is the newest addition to the Upland Tropical Rain Forest and the first born to Ivy, one of the four sloths in the exhibit. After votes are tallied, the winning name will be announced on the morning of November 16.

Ivy with her baby

The naming contest launched October 18 in honor of International Sloth Day, which aims to bring awareness to illegal trafficking and the mistreatment of sloths in Central and South America. The AIUNA foundation, the starters of International Sloth Day rehabilitate sloths that have been injured by power lines, hit by cars or sold illegally and release them back into the wild.

Sloths have been an ongoing part of the animal collection at National Aquarium. The two oldest sloths currently living in the rain forest, Syd and Ivy, were acquired in May 2007 from a private captive breeder in South Florida. The other two sloths, Howie and Xeno, were born at National Aquarium in 2008 and 2010, respectively.

Linne’s two-toed sloths are commonly found in South America’s rain forests, where they spend almost their entire lives in the trees. They are nocturnal by nature, fairly active at night while spending most of the day sleeping. Adult sloths are typically the size of a small dog, approximately 24-30 inches in length and about 12–20 pounds in weight.

The Linne’s two-toed sloth is currently not threatened however other species of sloth, such as the maned three-toed sloth and pygmy three-toed sloth are endangered. The sloths at National Aquarium, Baltimore help to inform people of the plight of all sloths from threats such as habitat loss and fragmentation of forests as well as to inspire conservation, protection and welfare of these and other animals.

Click here to vote on your favorite name for our baby! 

Hey, you just met me, and I’m a baby, but I’m too lazy, so name me, maybe?

Hello, my name is…

Baby Sloth Naming Contest to Coincide with International Sloth Day

In honor of International Sloth Day on October 20, National Aquarium will launch a naming contest for the Linne’s two-toed sloth born in Baltimore in late August.  This baby is the newest addition to our Upland Tropical Rain Forest exhibit and the first born to Ivy, one of the four sloths in the exhibit, is the third sloth born at National Aquarium, Baltimore.

CLICK HERE TO SUGGEST A NAME! 

The public is invited to visit www.aqua.org/slothcontest between now and November 1 to submit name suggestions.  A panel of National Aquarium staff will review and consider all entries.  Then, from November 2 to 15, the public can vote on one of four names selected by the panel. The winning name will be announced on the morning of November 16!

International Sloth Day aims to bring awareness to illegal trafficking and the mistreatment of sloths in Central and South America. The AIUNA foundation, the starters of International Sloth Day rehabilitate sloths that have been injured by power lines, hit by cars or sold illegally and release them back into the wild.

Ivy and baby

The Linne’s two-toed sloth is currently not threatened however other species of sloth, such as the maned three-toed sloth and pygmy three-toed sloth are endangered. The sloths at National Aquarium, Baltimore help to inform people of the plight of all sloths from threats such as habitat loss and fragmentation of forests as well as to inspire conservation, protection and welfare of these and other animals. Forest fragmentation forces sloths to come to the ground to travel to additional food trees. On the ground, they become easy prey for dogs and humans. Additionally, many sloths are either killed or injured when trying to cross roadways, others are electrocuted by overhead electrical lines.

Sloths have been an ongoing part of the animal collection at National Aquarium. The two oldest sloths currently living in the rain forest, Syd and Ivy, were acquired in May 2007 from a private captive breeder in South Florida. The other two sloths, Howie and Xeno, were born at National Aquarium in 2008 and 2010, respectively.

Linne’s two-toed sloths are commonly found in South America’s rain forests, where they spend almost their entire lives in the trees. They are nocturnal by nature, fairly active at night while spending most of the day sleeping. Adult sloths are typically the size of a small dog, approximately 24-30 inches in length and about 12–20 pounds in weight.

Ivy and her new infant are free roaming in the Upland Tropical Rain Forest exhibit. Photos and video of the baby and mother sloth are available on the Aquarium’s WATERblog here: http://ow.ly/ey0uG.

And don’t forget to click here to suggest a name! 

Baby Sloth Update!

Earlier this month, we announced a new addition to our Aquarium family – a baby Linne’s two-toed sloth! Our team has been closely monitoring Ivy and her new baby and we can report that both are very healthy! Taking a cue from Ivy, the baby is even starting to eat  solid foods including fruit and vegetables.

Our staff continues to monitor from a distance, allowing for the natural relationship between mother and child. As the baby grows and begins to feel more comfortable exploring, we look forward to determining the baby’s gender.

Watch this video to find out more about our new baby sloth!

Stay tuned for more updates right here on our WATERblog!

Welcome our new baby sloth!

We are so proud to welcome a new addition to the Upland Tropical Rain Forest exhibit – a Linne’s two-toed sloth was born in late August! The baby is the first born to Ivy, one of the four sloths in the exhibit, and is the third sloth born at National Aquarium.

During a daily routine checkup, National Aquarium staff observed Ivy carrying a newborn. The baby was born fully haired and already had its trademark claws! Staff are keeping a close eye on the two and have spotted the baby actively nursing. Upon initial observations, the baby sloth seems strong and healthy, and is actively clinging and crawling about on its mom. Animal care staff suspects the baby will continue to cling to its mother for the first several weeks of life. Sloths can remain dependant on their mothers for up to a year. As time goes on, the young sloth will begin exploring its immediate surroundings and eating solid foods.

Linne’s two-toed sloths are commonly found in South America’s rain forests, where they spend their entire lives in the trees. They are nocturnal by nature, fairly active at night while spending most of the day sleeping. Adult sloths are typically the size of a small dog, approximately 24–30 inches in length and about 12–20 pounds in weight.

Sloths have been an ongoing part of the animal collection at National Aquarium. The two oldest sloths currently living in the rain forest, Syd and Ivy, were acquired in May 2007 from a private captive breeder in South Florida. The other two sloths, Howie and Xeno, were born at National Aquarium in 2008 and 2010, respectively.

“Despite the fact that the two-toed sloth is a fairly common animal, many of its most basic behaviors are still a mystery because they are rarely observed,” commented Ken Howell, curator of Rain Forest Exhibits at National Aquarium. “We’re thrilled to welcome the new baby to our family and we hope that it will increase awareness and interest in this group of most unusual mammals.”

Ivy and her new infant are free roaming in the Upland Tropical Rain Forest exhibit and will be particularly good at hiding in the trees for at least a few weeks.

Stay tuned for more updates about our newest addition!