North America Projects

Mississippi Gopher Frog Endangered Species Recovery Plan

Zoo Miami Children's Zoo holds the critically endangered Mississippi gopher frog U.S.  Fish and WIldlife Services' endangered species recovery plan.  As the most endangered amphibian in the U.S., these frogs occur only in a small area in southeastern Mississippi, breeding in only one pond. The total number of adults in this species is estimated to be 50 to 100 individuals in any one year.

Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA's) Butterfly Conservation Initiative

Zoo Miami is a founding member of the AZA's Butterfly Conservation Initiative (BFCI), a program designed to bring together non-governmental organizations and government agencies to aid in the recovery of imperiled butterflies in North America.  This is in response to the alarming recent decline in butterfly populations.

Avian diversity and Morphology project with University of Florida

Carcasses of Zoo Miami's bird collection are deposited with the University of Florida's Museum of Natural History. The museum preserves skins, skeletons, tissues and records from the Zoo Miami specimens and incorporates them into an active ornithological research program. Zoo Miami specimens are being used to study pre-historic distributions of modern birds, taxonomy and phylogeny of birds, and ecomorphology/biomechanics of birds.