Chinchilla
Chinchillas live in South America, in the country of Chile in the Andes Mountains. They are raised in some places for their fur, even though it is illegal in most places. It takes 150 chinchillas to make one full length fur coat. Chinchillas are being used for research for their hearing ability because their cochlea is the same size as humans. They are also being researched in diabetic studies, because they cannot process sugar very well.
Chinchillas live in South America, in the country of Chile in the Andes Mountains. They are raised in some places for their fur, even though it is illegal in most places. It takes 150 chinchillas to make one full length fur coat. Chinchillas are being used for research for their hearing ability because their cochlea is the same size as humans. They are also being researched in diabetic studies, because they cannot process sugar very well.
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Domestic Ferret
Ferrets were brought over from Europe as pets. They were used in Europe to hunt rabbits and to help run wires in the construction of buildings. The Black Footed Ferret is the only native Ferret that we have in the USA and is the most endangered mammal.
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Savannah Monitor Lizard
Savannah Monitor Lizards live in the savannahs of Africa. The monitor family has the largest lizards in the world. Savannah Monitors have a forked tongue just like a snake which allows them to sense things more accurately.
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Great Horned Owl
Horned Owls are found all over North America but have the scientific name Bubo virginianus because the species was first identified in Virginia. 90% of their diet in the wild are skunks, but they have been known to walk on the ground to hunt prey, specifically for fish.
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Eastern Screech Owl Eastern Screech Owls are native to the eastern part of the US. In the wild they will only live between 3 and 5 years because of predation, but in captivity they can live between 20 and 25 years. When threatened an eastern screech owl will stretch its body and tighten its feathers in order to look like a branch stub to avoid detection.
Eastern Screech Owls are native to the eastern part of the US. In the wild they will only live between 3 and 5 years because of predation, but in captivity they can live between 20 and 25 years. When threatened an eastern screech owl will stretch its body and tighten its feathers in order to look like a branch stub to avoid detection.
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Flemish Giant Rabbit
Flemish Giants are from Flanders, Europe. They are a cross between the largest rabbit in Argentina and the largest rabbit in Europe. Flemish Giants can weigh between 15 and 18 pounds. The blood vessels in rabbit ears are very close to the surface of their skin and so heat radiates from them in order to cool the rabbit off.
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Corn Snake
Corn snakes are found all over the US. They have a maize pattern on their bellies which is how they got their name. They are non-venomous and one of only 32 native species in VA. Corn snakes have been documented as far back as 1676.
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Sulcata Tortoise
Sulcata tortoises are from Africa and are also called African Spur Thighed Tortoises. They are the third largest tortoise in the world with the Galapagos Tortoise being first and the Aldabra Tortoise being second. They can live to be between 80 and 100 years old and will weigh just as much.
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Indian Runner Duck
Indian Runner Ducks are from India. They are a cross between Peking and Mallard ducks. Their legs are place further down on its body than most ducks causing it to stand much more erect, giving them their name.
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African Pygmy Hedgehog
Hedgehogs are found in Africa and Europe and are mostly insectivores but will eat worms, roots, fungi and seeds. They have excellent hearing and can detect prey 2 or more inches below ground. They are also 40 times more resistant to snake and spider venom than a guinea pig of the same size.
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Box Turtle
Box turtles are found all over the Eastern United States. They are omnivores and will eat just about anything, including many mushrooms that are toxic to humans. Box turtles are the only land turtle found in North Carolina and is their state reptile. Their entire body can be retracted into their shell which has regenerative powers.
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Fire-bellied Toad
These toads are found in Korea, north-eastern China and adjacent parts of Russia. They are noted for their bright green and black coloration on their backs, and brilliant orange and black on their underside. These bright colors serve as a warning to predators of toxicity. Not only will they emit this toxin, they will also lay on their back to show the color of their belly, indicating its toxicity to any predators.
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Leopard Gecko
Leopard Geckos are from Pakistan, Northern India, Afghanistan and parts of Iran. They are insectivores and will feed on any insect it can catch. Leopard Geckos are one of only a few geckos that have true eyelids so they can keep the sand out of their eyes.
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Military Macaw
Macaws will eat seeds, fruit, nuts, berries and vegetation from treetops. Military Macaws are very intelligent and have the ability to mimic human speech. The population and distribution of Military Macaws has been decreasing over the past 50 years. Abundance of Military Macaws has decreased to less than 10,000 globally.
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Mexican Red-Kneed Tarantula (Rosy)
Mexican Red-Kneed Tarantulas are from the western coast of Mexico. They cannotdigest food; therefore, in order to eat, they bite the prey with their fangs and inject them with venom. The venom kills the prey and then liquefies it allowing the tarantula to suck out the resulting fluid. If a tarantula loses a leg, it will grow back completely in seven years.
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Russian Tortoise
These tortoises are from Afghanistan, Northern Pakistan, Northern and Eastern Iran, North Western China and the Soviet territory Kazakhstan. They can live up to 50 years and do not mind being solitary. The first tortoise in space was a Russian tortoise, sent by the
Soviet Union in 1968.
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Whites Tree Frog
Whites Tree Frogs are from the rainforest in Australia and New Guinea. White’s tree frogs helped scientists with HIV research by finding that secretions from some WTF’s create peptides that attack HIV cells. They contain a toxin in their skin to which some people may have skin irritations also.
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Monk Parakeet
Monk Parakeets, also known as Quakers, are from Argentina and surrounding South American countries. The Monk Parakeet is the only parrot species to build stick nests and they most often will have 3 rooms to them. They are very social and will live 20-30 years.
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