The Amazing Animals
Mammals«Back
Bennett's Wallaby
(Macropus rufogriseus)
Australia
– "Roxy," our Bennett's Wallaby, like the
kangaroo, are among the most recognized of the marsupials found in the
Australian region in the wild. They are found in many different environments
including open areas, brush areas, rocky outcroppings and forests. The wild
wallabies feed on grasses and browse on brush. There are many varieties of the
wallaby in the world. The Bennett's Wallaby is one of the most common found in
the United States today. When viewed, the Bennett's Wallaby has a striking
beauty about it due to its graceful antics and posture. The Bennett's Wallaby,
like the kangaroo and other members of the marsupial family, rear their young in
pouches. At maturity the Bennett's Wallaby reaches a height of about 24 to 30
inches and weighs between 30 and 50 pounds. The males usually take on the larger
size characteristics after several years. They are a brownish gray in color with
light stomachs. Some albino varieties do exist, but are in limited supply in the
United States and the world. There is nothing more fascinating or heart warming
than seeing the first peek of a head from the mother's pouch or a baby that
scrambles back to his mother's pouch for safety. Then there is the big baby that
tries to hide in mother's pouch, only to find out that he can only get his head
in. He still feels safe at that point. "Roxy" still spends much of her time in
her pouch and goes everywhere with Jungle Joe. She is presently on five bottle
feedings a day. She loves to eat hay, grass, dirt, cheerios and macropod feed.
Prehensile-Tailed Porcupine
(Coendou prehensilis)
South America
– Prehensile-tailed porcupines are not considered threatened or endangered, although this species is killed for food in some parts of its range and is also a victim of habitat destruction. The smallest of porcupines, these animals are nocturnal and arboreal. While they are rather slow and clumsy on the ground, they are sure-footed in trees. Vegetarian rodents, they have sharp spines; big, round noses; and tails from which they can hang. Prehensile-tailed porcupines prefer to spend their days sleeping in tangled vegetation in the treetops or in hollowed-out limbs, tree trunks or shallow burrows. At night they forage for food, often covering very large areas. This species does not hesitate to attack an adversary, and the animals do so by biting and/or sitting on their haunches to shake their sharp quills. They will also stamp their feet when excited and most likely will roll up in a ball if caught in an open area. The sounds they make include deep growls and plaintive cries. Prehensile-tailed porcupines are very near-sighted, but have a keen sense of touch, hearing and smell. They have large brains and appear to have good memories. While in the wild, this porcupine eats leaves, tender stems and fruits. We feed
"Spike," our prehensile-tailed porcupine, carrots, yams, apples, bananas, oranges, omnivore biscuits and peanuts.
Six-Banded Armadillo
(Euphractus sexcinctus)
South America
– Unlike most armadillo species, six-banded armadillos are diurnal and remain active even under bright daylight. They also are known to use the same den for quite some time before leaving it. Sometimes six-banded armadillos may scent-mark their den to establish their territory. Contrary to popular belief, these animals cannot roll up into a ball to escape predators! They are solitary creatures, but sometimes are seen in gatherings around carcasses that they feed on. Their diet mainly consists of plant material, including bromeliad fruit (such as pineapple) and palm nuts. However, they also will eat insects such as ants and termites, which makes them omnivorous. They have a long, sticky tongue to slurp up bugs as quickly as possible. We feed our six-banded armadillo,
"Amy," omnivore diet and insectivore diet along with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Ringtail Cat
(Bassariscus astutus)
USA
– Ringtail cats are not true cats, but the smallest member of the raccoon family. These beautiful and graceful animals were once used in the early American West as a companion and
"mouser" to gold prospectors and other adventurers in their camps, thus earning them their other name, miner's cats. Ringtail cats have an incredible hind foot that can rotate up to 180 degrees, which enables them to quickly descend, face-down, almost any surface. They use their semi-retractable claws for climbing. Ringtail cats are primarily nocturnal in the wild, venturing out at night to search for food such as small birds and mammals, reptiles, insects and fruits from native plants. Our ringtail,
"Rocky," eats fruits, vegetables and omnivore diet.
African Pygmy Hedgehog
(Atelerix albiventris)
Northern Africa
– Hedgehogs can have up to 500 short, sharp, stiff spines that protect them from predators. When they feel threatened, they roll up into a ball to protect themselves. While their eyesight is poor, their hearing and smell senses are good and aid them in locating food such as beetles, caterpillars, earthworms and slugs. Hedgehogs have an amazing tolerance for toxins and will eat millipedes, spiders, bees, wasps and even poisonous snakes! Our hedgehogs,
"Sonic" and "Sally," are the snowflake variety, which are nocturnal animals and related to moles and shrews. We feed them a commercial diet along with fresh fruits, vegetables and an occasional mealworm. They are friendly little critters and can be safely held in the palm of your hand.
Brazilian Short-Tail Opossum
(Monodelphis domestica)
South America
– Brazilian short-tailed opossums are marsupials, although they do not have a pouch. Opossums are highly valued by the natives of South American villages not only because they are considered good luck, but also because they keep insects, small rodents and even scorpions at bay.
"Bonnie" and "Clyde," our good-natured, palm-sized, finger-clingers, love to hang by their prehensile tails and are very inquisitive. We feed our
"pocket pets" dry kitten food, fruit, veggies, mealworms and crickets. They enjoy running on their hamster exercise wheel for several hours each night.
Fennec Fox
(Vulpes zerda)
North Africa and Middle East
– Weighing less than 3 pounds, Fennec foxes are the smallest foxes in the world. They are found in the Sahara Desert and in Saudi Arabia, and being desert dwellers, they are sand-colored. Their most noticeable characteristic is their large ears, which are used for diffusing heat in the daytime and for hunting at night. Their long, bushy tails help them change direction quickly, as well as keep their feet and nose warm when they curl up to sleep. In the wild, these foxes eat insects, lizards, small rodents, fruit and berries. Our fox,
"“Francesca" – aka "Frankie"
– is fed a commercial diet of high-quality, dry dog food along with her favorites: carrots and sweet potatoes. As a treat she occasionally gets one or two mealworms. She loves to steal her pal Booker's (our golden retriever) toys and hide them by burying them in her cage bedding. When she gets excited she squeals loudly while wagging her tail. She then fetches the nearest toy (which is usually one that belongs to my son). If all that doesn't get her noticed, she rolls on her back and continues squealing until she receives the attention she wants. Sometimes she actually barks like a dog.
Kinkajou
(Potos flavus)
Central and South America
– Kinkajous are nocturnal tree-dwelling members of the raccoon family. Their prehensile tails help them climb in the tree canopy of the tropical rainforest, where natives there refer to them as
"nightwalkers" or "honeybears." And kinks do love honey. Did you know that the literary character Winnie the Pooh is a honeybear? Kinkajous have very soft, plush coats that are water repellant. Unfortunately, the number of kinkajous is declining due to deforestation and human hunters desiring their plush fur. Kinkajous feed primarily on fruit and nectar, and have an extremely long and flexible tongue, which can be up to 6 inches in length, that enables them to drink nectar from flowers. Because they eat the fruit and nectar of plants, they are important pollinators and seed depositors in their environment. Our kinkajou,
"Honey," sleeps all day in her hanging sleeping bag, and when she awakes (around 9:00 p.m.), she starts whistling really loud to let me know its playtime. Honey's favorite food is bananas, and we feed her one and a half bananas each night along with sweet potatoes, fruits, vegetables and dry dog food for protein.
Mountain Coatimundi
(Nasua olivacea)
Southwestern USA, Central and South America
– Mountain coatimundis, members of the raccoon family, are excellent climbers, but spend most of their time hunting on the ground. They have a very good sense of smell and can be seen sniffing along the ground in search of prey, which consists of insects, fruit, vegetation and small animals. The mountain coatimundi population is declining due to deforestation.
"Carla" is our loving and mischievous little rascal, who enjoys playing and cuddling with us when she isn't running around creating chaos by climbing, jumping and generally making a mess. She especially enjoys wrestling with
"Booker," our golden retriever. Carla must constantly be supervised, as she acts like a two-year-old child who gets into everything. Usually a firm
"no" gets her attention, and she replies with a unique grunting noise as she retreats
– only to return seconds later when my back is turned. Carla is fed high-quality dog food, fruits, vegetables and an occasional mealworm or cricket.
Southern Flying Squirrel
(Glaucomys volans)
Southeastern Canada, Eastern USA
– Southern flying squirrels really live up to their name. Their gliding capabilities develop quickly; by eight weeks they can execute 90-degree turns, lateral loops and other maneuvers as well as the adult animals. Depending on the air current, flying squirrels may glide 150 feet or more from a height of 60 feet. The record is about 100 yards. In the wild, they feed on hickory nuts, acorns, seeds, grapes, tree bark, insects and fungi.
"Rocky" and "Bullwinkle," our flying squirrels, are exclusively nocturnal and spend the day nestled together in their sleeping pouch. Sometimes during the late evening hours they make high-pitched, excited-sounding
"cheeps." We feed our little friends a combination of parrot food, fruits, veggies, crickets and mealworms.
Striped Skunk
(Mephitis mephitis)
USA and Canada
– When a skunk is threatened, it tries to frighten the predator by stomping its feet, arching its back, raising its tail and turning its back on the predator. If none of those actions work, as a last resort, the skunk will spray the perceived threat with a strong-smelling fluid. This defense gives the skunk time to get away. Skunks can spray as far as 12 feet, so be sure to give them plenty of room! Did you know that skunk fluid contains musk that is used as a base for perfumes? Things that make you go
"Hmmm...". "Petunia Rose," our nocturnal little stinker, was born fully equipped with her scent glands, which were then removed shortly after birth. Petunia is fed a commercial omnivore diet mixed with lots of fresh fruits and veggies. She loves mealworms, which we occasionally give to her as a treat. She, too, is a big fan of
"Booker," our golden retriever. Booker plays with Petunia for hours.
Sugar Gliders
(Petaurus breviceps)
Australia and Indonesia
– Sugar gliders are nocturnal marsupials with pouches. They originate in the jungles of the South Pacific. They love to eat anything sweet, which is where the
"sugar" part of their name comes in. The "glider" part comes from their ability to hop and glide from tree to tree. Sugar gliders are said to be able to glide 150 to 200 feet from very high treetops, using their tails as rudders to control the direction of their flight.
"Bart" and "Lisa," our little "pocket pets," eat fruit, seeds, nuts, yogurt and crickets. They hold their food in their little hands like a monkey. We also give them Sugar Glider pellets and Gliderade, a vitamin-enriched nectar supplement.
Egyptian Fruit Bat
(Rousettus aegyptiacus)
Africa, Cyprus and the Middle East
– Egyptian fruit bats have sharp muzzles; large, dark eyes; and pointed ears. Like other fruit bats, they look a little like foxes, and in fact, are often referred to as
"flying foxes." These bats cluster in huge colonies of up to thousands of individuals. They hang from the ceiling of the cave by one foot, folding the other foot across their front and then folding their wings closely around their body. Returning from their night's foraging just before daybreak, the bats make a great deal of noise as they jostle for a position in the cave's dark recesses. Like other bats, Egyptian fruit bats have incredible powers of echolocation, making a series of repeated tongue clicks that are bounced back from obstacles. Once a fruit tree has been located, the bats circle it before settling on the branches, using their acute sense of smell as well as their eyesight to locate the ripe fruit. (By the way, this bat is not blind!) The juicy pulp is either consumed immediately or taken away in special cheek pouches. Wild figs are a favorite fruit, although bats will eat any pulpy fruit available. The young are born with their eyes closed and their ears folded back, and are carried around by their mothers for their first 6 weeks, after which they are left in the cave while their mother forages for food for them. Baby bats are about 3 months old before they learn to fly on their own. Young bats stay in the same colony as their parents for most, if not all, of their lives.
