Smithsonian National Zoo #8: Small Mammal House in 4 Views

Small Mammal Houses at zoos are a rather quaint concept, but if you think about it, they do make sense in that they provide a succinct experience for the guest to view animals that don't need large amounts of space, and could easily be overlooked in larger exterior habitats.  Yet, true small animals houses are rare and harken back to earlier understandings of animal care and display.  Today, many zoos are opting for trendier and often more diverse and naturalistic ways to display their more diminutive members.

The Philadelphia Zoo while still having and using it's small mammal house, also has a brand new state of the art facility, the Rare Animal Conservation Center, that functions as a combination small primate/small mammal display structure.  The Henry Doorly Zoo has the Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom Pavilion, and the Denver Zoo has the Fleeshman Family Foundation Tropical Discovery conservatory that combines aspects of small mammal houses with aviaries, herpetariums, and aquariums.  At the National Zoo the exterior is vintage Romanesque architecture, but the interior is modernized and well maintained.

Degu, Octodon degus

Red Ruffed Lemur, Varecia rubra

Golden Lion Tamarin, Leontopithecus rosalia

Dwarf Mongoose, Helogale parvula