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Mammals

Meet our amazing mammals

Lola the Therapy Dog  Cat Chinchilla Sugar Glider CommonTenrec  Lesser Tenrec Funky Skunky

Lola the Therapy Dog

Canis lupus familiaris

Where I live

Dogs live in most countries around the world. We can either live in the wild or as pets. We are one of the first animals that humans tamed, and are commonly known as 'man's best friend'.

We have the intelligence of a toddler.

Lifespan and Size

I live an average of 10-12 years but some have been known to live as old as 20!.

There are many sizes of dog from the Chihuahua (0.9-2.7kg at 3.8 inches) to the tallest Great Dane at 44 inches or heaviest English mastiff at 343 pounds.

What I eat

I am a carnivore and eat meat.  Some processed feeds contain too much cereal.

I must never eat onions and should not eat cheese or chocolate. I love bones but must be careful not to swallow small pieces.

Mobirise

Natural Habitat 

There are over 150 breeds of dog and can live and work in most climates.

Interesting Fact

We have wet noses because it helps to absorb scent chemicals....my favourite thing!

Housing 

I like to live in the house but some dogs have a kennel or run.  

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Kitkat the Cat and her kitten

Felis catus

Where we live

Shorthaired domestic cats spread across the world from Egypt while longhaired cats came later from Turkey and Iran. Now we live everywhere! Like our frenemy the dog.

Lifespan and Size

We live anywhere between 10 and 24 years.

We average 3.6 – 4.5 kg and around 47cm from tip to head.

What we eat

We are carnivores and prefer to eat animals we have just hunted and killed.  They taste better if we played with them first.
There are many cat foods available.

Mobirise

Natural Habitat 

We live in all climates in the wild. Wild cats can be found from Siberia to South Africa and everywhere in between.  We survive wherever we go and have been introduced to many islands where we have become the main predator.

Interesting Fact

We have almost 10% of our bones are in our tail, which is used to maintain balance.

We sleep an average of 13-14 hours a day.

Housing 

Cats sleep anywhere, any table, any chair...in the cupboard with your socks. 

Some people keep us indoors!

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Chilly and Oscar the Chinchillas

Chinchilla lanigera

Where we live

We live in South America. We used to live in the coastal regions, hills, and mountains of Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia. We are now thought to only live in Chille.

Lifespan and Size

We can live for 10 years but have been known to live longer.

We can grow up to 1 ft long and weigh around 120g.

What I eat

We are herbivores and love kale, berries, edible flowers and sliced vegetables. There are some great pellets on the market that give us all the nutrients we need.

Mobirise

Natural Habitat 

In the wild we live in colonies called "herds" at high elevations up to 4,270m. We live in burrows or crevices in rocks and can cope with temperature extremes.

Interesting Fact

We have the most hair folicles per square inch of any mammal. People used to breed us just to make fur coats! 

Housing 

We need a chew proof cage at least 16″ x 20″ x 16″. You should get the biggest cage possible we have lots of room to play and move around and we can jump up to 6 ft .

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Frizbee and Joey the Sugar Gliders

Petaurus breviceps

Where we live

We are found in forests in Australia, Tasmania, Indonesia, and New Guinea.  We are arboreal (live in trees).

Lifespan and Size

We live about 10-15 years in captivity.

We weigh about 120g when fully grown.

What we eat

We are omnivores and need a varied diet using baby food, honey, fruits, vitamins, and fresh items such as fruit, vegetables, and insects.

Mobirise

Natural Habitat 

We live in rainforests and glide from tree to tree. We make our homes in tree hollows and rarely ever touch the ground.

Interesting Fact

We are marsupials which means our young are born very immature and grow in a pouch for 60-70 days.
We have a furry, thin, membrane called a patagium that stretches from our wrists to our ankles that helps us glide up to 150 feet through the air.

Housing 

We cannot cope alone and should be kept in pairs or groups. 

A minimum size for a pair of sugar gliders is 24 inches deep and wide by 36 inches tall. Larger is always better,

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Barbar and Celeste the Common Tenrecs

Tenrec ecaudatus

Where I live

We live in the Madagascar and on the nearby islands. 

Lifespan and Size

We can live up to 22 years!

We  can reach 10 to 15 ½ inches in length and weigh between 3 ¼ and 5 ½ pounds.

What I eat

We are insectivores. The best items to feed us are mealworms or crickets, but you can treat us to waxworms or superworms once a week if you wish.  

Mobirise

Natural Habitat 

We like to be near water and live in rainforrests, paddy fields and coastal areas.

Interesting Fact

We are share a common ancestor with elephants, aardvarks, sea cows (manatees) and hyraxes.

We are mamals but, like birds and reptiles, only have one hole for all out bottom activity.

Housing 

We need a large area where we can forrage and also enjoy hiding. We need to be warm, around 75 degrees but can change our own body temperature.

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Nelly and Dumbo the Lesser Tenrecs

Echinops telfairi

Where I live

We also live in the Madagascar and on the nearby islands alhough we can be found in some areas of Africa.

We are nocturnal and have excellent smell and hearing.

Lifespan and Size

In the wild we live up to 5 years. In zoos, we can live around 10 years, although the oldest known were 17 years old.
We weigh 4 to 7 ounces (113 to 255 grams) and grow to between 5.5 and 7 inches (14 to 18 centimeters) in length.

What I eat

We are insectivore at heart, loving crickets and locusts. We also eat dog & cat biscuits.

We do also eat plant material such as chopped fruit and berries.

Mobirise

Natural Habitat 

We are found in the arid regions of southern Madagascar, in dry forests, coastal regions, scrub and semi-desert areas. 

Interesting Fact

We have a special hibernation called torpor where we eat a lot less for around 4 months.
Like our cousins the common tenrecs, we are related to the elephant.

Housing 

We need a warm environment above 75 degrees or we go into torpor. We need things to climb on and several hides. A nice big cage or tank is needed for us to roam.

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Pepe Potter and Stinker the Funky Skunks

Mephitidae

Where I live

We live in Southern Canada, the United States and northern Mexico.


Lifespan and Size

We live 6 to 10 years althoough some have been known to live longer.
We grow to 8 to 19 inches (20 to 48 centimeters) long and weigh around 7 ounces to 14 lbs. (198 grams to 6 kilograms). Our tails can grow to 15 inches (38 cm) long. Boys are about 10% bigger.

What I eat

We are omnivores and eat roughly 25% protein, 25% sugary fruit and 50% vegetables and greens.

Many of us are lactose intolerant.

Mobirise

Natural Habitat 

We like to live in brushland and forrests although they live in a range of environments.

We can be found in towns or the countryside.

Interesting Fact

We have two glands by our anus and they allow us to spray a foul smelling oily liquid up to 10 feet. 6 sprays empty our reserve and it takes up to 10 days to get up to full supply.

Housing 

Some skunks live indoors and roam their house and others live in runs outside. We need a warm hutch with plenty of hay to cuddle in.

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Mobirise

Contacts

Email: nesta@nestasark.org.uk 
Phone: +44 (7976) 568 593                    

Links

Nesta's Ark Facebook Page 
Lola the Therapy Dog FaceBook 
Find Frank Tortoise FaceBook 
FunkySkunk Facebook

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