The Small Mammals Building

The Small Mammals building has the most diverse collection of animals at the Zoo, including some very unique species. The building is divided into a daytime (diurnal) side, lit by natural sunlight, and a nighttime (nocturnal) side, surrounded with reverse lighting. A computerized system dims the lights in the morning in order for the nocturnal animals to awake. As visitors arrive, these animals are beginning their nighttime activities.

In the diurnal area, Zoo visitors can compare two species of lemurs from Madagascar and three species of South American tamarins. Also in this area, the antics of the North American river otters, South American tayras and African slender-tailed meerkats are always crowd-pleasers. The slow-moving two-toed sloths, tiny dwarf mongoose, South American acouchi and African rock hyrax are other unique features of the daytime exhibits.

As visitors enter the nocturnal area, their first sight is the very busy fruit bat exhibit. More than 100 straw-colored fruit bats and Ruwenzori mountain bats call the Small Mammals building home. Straw-colored fruit bat pups are born between November and March each year. Look for nursing babies cradled under the females' wings!

Another nocturnal species featured in this building is the vampire bat. These bats have special physical and behavioral adaptations for feeding on an exclusive diet of blood. Other nocturnal inhabitants include the large-eared fennec foxes, mohol galagos (bush babies), petite chevrotains (mouse deer) and prehensile-tailed Mexican porcupine.

The only South American nocturnal primate, the douroucouli (owl monkey) and the animated South American kinkajou also make the Small Mammals building their home.