Jan. 23-Sept. 12, 2021
$10 adults | $9 Fla. residents, seniors & non-UF college students | $7 ages 3-17 | FREE for UF students & Museum members.
For COVID-19 safety procedures and visitor protocols, visit our Reopening Procedures page.
How can slow and steady win the race? Does bigger always mean better? Survival of the Slowest features animals that are slow, small or weak and explores how they use these traits to thrive!
Visitors get an up-close look at live animals, including a sloth, hedgehog, snake and others. The exhibit has a keeper onsite to answer visitor questions, hold daily presentations and ensure the animals are healthy and happy! Meet creatures that have survived for millions of years despite their apparent disadvantages, and learn about the puzzling sides of evolution and adaptation. Discover the difference between warm- and cold-blooded animals, and see the unique ways they hide from predators. A keeper is on site to give daily presentations and answer your questions!
This is a bilingual exhibit. Esta es una exposición bilingüe.
Linnean Two-Toed SlothFrom: Central and South America
Size: About 2 feet long
Diet: Fruits, leaves, insects
Did You Know: Despite being the slowest mammals in the world, sloths are great swimmers!
Red-Footed TortoiseFrom: Central and South America
Size: About a foot long
Diet: Leaves, grass, fungi, fruits, flowers
Did You Know: These slow-moving reptiles can live more than 50 years and primarily communicate through head movements.
Green IguanaFrom: Central and South America; invasive species in Florida
Size: Up to 6 feet long
Diet: Insects and spiders when younger, mostly plants and fruits when fully grown
Did You Know: They can fall from up to 50 feet without injury and can hold their breath for up to 30 minutes!
Pygmy HedgehogFrom: Africa
Size: 6-11 inches long
Diet: Insects, small reptiles, spiders, fruits, nuts, vegetables
Did You Know: They use their spines as defense mechanisms and spread a foamy saliva over them. Scientists are unsure why this process, known as anointing, takes place.
Box TurtleFrom: Florida
Size: 4-6 inches long
Diet: Snails, earthworms, beetles
Did You Know: They’re identifiable by the yellow streaks on their black shells. Although small, adults can completely retreat into their shells to evade predators.
Bearded DragonFrom: Australia
Size: Up to 2 feet long
Diet: Crickets, mice, vegetables, worms
Did You Know: They will wave to other bearded dragons to show interest and use head bobbing to indicate a desire to mate.
Gray Rat SnakeFrom: North America
Size: 3-6 feet long
Diet: Lizards, frogs, rodents, birds
Did You Know: In Florida, they can be found in the Panhandle, west of the Apalachicola River.
Horned FrogFrom: Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay
Size: 4-7 inches long
Diet: Small invertebrates, birds, mammals
Did You Know: They’re also called the Pac-Man frog because of their round shape.
Green BasiliskFrom: Central America
Size: Up to 3 feet long
Diet: Spiders, insects, small lizards, worms
Did You Know: These lizards can run short distances on water.
Blue-Tongued SkinkFrom: Australia
Size: Up to 2 feet long
Diet: Insects, fruit, plants, meat
Did You Know: They use their tongue to ward off predators: The blue color makes them seem sick and unsafe to eat.
Veiled ChameleonFrom: Yemen and Saudi Arabia
Size: Males are 17-24 inches long, while females are 10-14 inches long
Diet: Insects, with leaves as a water source
Did You Know: They can change into a variety of colors and can even constrict themselves to look like a tree branch.
Pine SnakeFrom: North America
Size: Up to 6 feet long
Diet: Mice, small mammals, birds, lizards, insects
Did You Know: They spend most of their lives in underground burrows and are one of the largest snakes in North America.
Madagascar Giant Hognose
From: Madagascar and the Comoros Islands
Size: 4 to 6 feet long
Diet: Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, eggs
Did You Know: The name “hognose” comes from their upturned nose which looks like a pig’s snout.
Fox Snake
From: Midwestern United States
Size: 3 to 6 feet long
Diet: Small rodents, frogs, birds, eggs
Did You Know: When frightened, they release a strong odor that most predators find unpleasant.
Asian Water Dragon
From: India, China and Southeast Asia
Size: 20 to 30 inches long
Diet: Plants, insects, other invertebrates
Did You Know: These lizards are strong swimmers and can remain underwater for up to 25 minutes.
Giant Madagascar Day Gecko
From: Madagascar
Size: 8 to 10 inches long
Diet: Ripe fruit, nectar, small insects
Did You Know: As a defense mechanism, these animals can drop their tails and even a layer of skin to escape the grip of predators.
Acknowledgements
Survival of the Slowest is produced by Little Ray’s Nature Centres in partnership with the Canadian Museum of Nature and sponsored in part by Visit Gainesville/Alachua County, University of Florida Student Government and the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs.