Degu

Degu

(Octodon degus)

The Zoo is home to three degus in our Ambassador Animal collection. As such they are not kept in public view, but available for various programs, classes, ZooMobiles, birthday parties etc. 

Animal Facts

Diet

Herbivorous. Grasses, leaves, and bark of shrubs and seeds in nature. Rodent chow, greens, vegetables, hay and seeds in conservation care.

Status in The Wild

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

There are no imminent threats to the survival of common degus. However, they are sometimes taken from their natural range for the pet trade.

Four-banded Poison Dart Frogs

Four-banded Poison Dart Frog

(Dendrobates leucomelas)

There are two yellow and blue poison dart frogs (Dendrobates tinctorius); and four yellow-banded poison dart frogs (Dendrobates leucomelas) at the Zoo.

Animal Facts

Diet

Elephants eat leaves, branches, fruit and grasses. They consume 300 pounds of food and 50 gallons of water every day.

Status in The Wild

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

These species are found only in South America. They are poor swimmers and are never found in the water.

The wild population of these species is not known. However, the destruction of rainforest habitat by fires and by humans for farmland has contributed to the decreasing numbers. The illegal pet trade has also negatively impacted their existence.

Yellow and Blue Dart Frogs

Yellow and Blue Poison Dart Frog

(Dendrobates tinctorius)

There are two yellow and blue poison dart frogs (Dendrobates tinctorius); and four yellow-banded poison dart frogs (Dendrobates leucomelas) at the Zoo.

Animal Facts

Diet

The poison dart frog is an insectivore though it eats non-insect arthropods as well. Its diet consists of ants, millipedes, beetles, flies, mites, spiders, maggots and caterpillars.

Status in The Wild

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

These species are found only in South America. They are poor swimmers and are never found in the water.

The wild population of these species is not known. However, the destruction of rainforest habitat by fires and by humans for farmland has contributed to the decreasing numbers. The illegal pet trade has also negatively impacted their existence.

Rose Hair Tarantula

Rose Hair Tarantula

The rose tarantula at the Zoo is named Rosie. She came to the Zoo in May 2014.

Animal Facts

Diet

Insects and other arthropods and occasionally small animals.

Status in The Wild

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

Chilean rose-haired tarantulas are found in deserts and scrublands.

The range includes habitats in Bolivia, northern Chile, and Argentina. Because of the widespread collection of this species from the wild for the pet trade, increasing regulation in the future is probably inevitable in order to protect it from becoming threatened and/or endangered.

Red-Footed Tortoise

Red-Footed Tortoise

(Geochelone carbonaria)

Koopa is the name of our female red-footed tortoise. She loves to eat grapes!

Animal Facts

Diet

The forest habitat provides the red-foot with an abundance of fallen fruits such as wild plum. It also eats wild mushrooms, vines, grasses, succulents and carrion, and is attracted to yellow and red flowers.

Status in The Wild

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

The red-footed tortoise is found throughout extreme southern Central America, and central and northern South America

This includes the countries of Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guyana, Brazil, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Argentina. Red-foots are commonly found in relatively-dry grassland and forests areas. They can also be found in humid forest habitat. Red-foots are protected under Appendix II of the CITES, meaning they may not be exported from its home country without a permit. In every country in its range, the biggest threat to the survival of the red-footed tortoise is hunting by man.

Southern 3-Banded Armadillo

Southern 3-Banded Armadillo

(Tolypeutes matacus)

Seneca Park Zoo is home to a three-banded armadillo named Doug, who was born in 2009 and came to the Zoo in 2010.

Animal Facts

Diet

Mainly beetle larvae, although ants and termites are an important portion of their diet during the dry season. During the wet season they feed on a significant amount of fruit.

Status in The Wild

International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List status

The armadillo can be found in grassy or marshy areas between scattered forests.

They can be found in eastern and central Bolivia, Paraguay, the Mato Grasso of Central Brazil and northern and central Argentina. Many species of armadillo are endangered or threatened in the wild. Human encroachment, slash-and-burn farming and hunting account for a large percentage of the problem.