Animal Discovery Zone

Wednesday - Sunday 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

C-level, Learning Lab “F”

Accessible

Animal Discovery Zone: Located downstairs on C Level

Meet live animals and learn about their habits and habitats! Explore animal adaptations, discover how different critters use color in nature, and more. From axolotls to chinchillas, make furry, slimy, and scaly animal friends.

Animals

Veiled Chameleon

Blue-tongued Skink

bearded dragon

Bearded Dragon

Axolotl

Turtles

Gecko

Insects

Snakes

About the Exhibit

a chameleon

Color in Nature

From simple to spectacular, animals come in as many colors as they do shapes and sizes. Their colors and patterns help them survive, but not always in the ways you might think! Observe animals like Delta the veiled chameleon, Xonga the Brazilian rainbow boa, and others to discover how their color and behavior help them survive and thrive in their habitat.

Ecosystems

An ecosystem is the interaction between a community of nonliving and living things, including people. How do humans change their ecosystem in ways that other organisms can’t?

Axolotls and humans have shared the same waterways crisscrossing modern-day Mexico City for centuries. Yet now wild axolotls are almost extinct. As people worked to provide enough food and space for the growing city, they changed and polluted the aquatic habitat. This affected both people and other animals. Learn about axolotls and investigate how humans can balance the needs of people and wildlife in the ecosystems we share.

Adaptation

What is an adaptation? It helps a group of animals survive in their habitat. An adaptation can be a behavior, like building a nest or hibernating, or even specialized body structures, such as gills or scales. Adaptations are passed along over many generations. Over millions of years, some groups of animals have changed a lot, while others have changed very little. Learn about adaptations by observing Indiana the legless lizard and other amazing animals!

Plan Your Visit

Admission

General

Age 3+: $20

Kids under 2: FREE

Members: FREE

Learn More >

3D Theater

$4 + Admission

Planetarium

$4 + Admission

See What’s Happening Today

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Today’s Schedule >

Discover

Behind-the-Scenes at The Animal Discovery Room

Meet Alondra Blandon, our Animal Discovery Room manager, and get a behind the scenes tour.