Islands and Lakes
Island and lakes are both unique ecosystems—islands because they're isolated from mainland communities, and lakes because the water stands still. Because of this, they're filled with beauty found nowhere else—from alligators and turtles to lookdowns and cichlids. A walk through Island and Lakes will take you through environments, and animals, found around the world!
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Discover
Keep an eye out for animal presentations in Islands and Lakes.
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Find
Get close to a group of American alligators and discover the unique pattern of the map turtle.
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Learn
Find out more about why cichlids thrive in Africa's lakes.
Ecosystems bursting with life
Islands and lakes are unique ecosystems that can be both isolated and cosmopolitan. The great African rift lakes sequestered a few kinds of cichlids that evolved into hundreds of specialized species, a colorful sampling of which you can see in this exhibit. While islands’ nearshore waters attract fishes found elsewhere, mainland species that wind up on islands can gradually change through adaptation to new environments. A lake on an island, like our alligators’ Florida Keys blue hole, offers plenty of shelter plus an unrivaled food supply.
Biodiversity: The Cichlids
The large characin family is also well-represented in Amazon, with 66 species, including lots of tetras and a couple of piranhas.