There are zoos in some surprising and off-the-beaten-path places that have features the "big guys" can't match. If you want to see the country's best exhibits of North American animals, you need to travel to rural North Carolina. If desert critters are your thing, head for Arizona. And the world's largest indoor rainforest isn't in the Amazon, it's in Nebraska!

Here are five "offbeat zoos" that will reward the journey.

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

Displaying only animals from the Arizona and Mexican deserts, the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum (ASDM) is both zoo and botanical garden – with over 1,200 plant and cacti species, many in popular desert gardens.

New in 2008, Life on the Rocks is a fascinating look at reptiles, insects, and mammals (including hog-nosed skunks) from rocky environments. ASDM is famous for nearly-invisible fencing, seen at the javelina (wild pigs) and coyote habitats. The Mountain Woodland displays mountain lions, black bears, Mexican wolves, and thick-billed parrots – the USA's only native parrots. The Desert Grassland habitat and Life Underground tunnel both offer interesting looks at creatures that live underground, including prairie dogs, snakes, and burrowing owls.

The air-conditioned Cat Canyon exhibit offers relief from the desert heat, with rare cats that include the sleek jaguarundi. The Riparian Corridor gives more indoor viewing of otters and beavers, both seen underwater.

The Earth Sciences building's artificial limestone cave is filled with stalactites, stalagmites, fossils, and a 75-foot narrow passageway especially for children. Another room displays over 14,000 beautiful minerals, including gold nuggets and a genuine moon rock.

Near curious coatimundis and desert bighorn sheep, the Walk In Aviary has over 40 bird species, including cactus wrens and Gila woodpeckers. The large circular Hummingbird Aviary is extremely popular, with hummingbirds of seven varieties fluttering and nesting. Galleries of reptiles, tarantulas, scorpions, and fish are near ASDM's entrance.