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Tours
Title: Animals of the Night
Goal: To learn the characteristics of nocturnal animals
Biofacts to Bring: Skulls and/or mandibles: opossum, vampire bat, aardvark, binturong, porcupine,
raccoon, mole; armadillo mount or shell; bat skeleton or body; springhaas face pelt; porcupine quills
Background: The Animals of the Night building was originally built in 1964 to house primates. It was
renovated in 1995 to its current format. The light cycle of the exhibit is opposite to true daytime so
that the animals are active when visitors are here.
Nocturnal adaptations:
 Large eyes, wide pupils to collect more light
 May have large ears
 Some rely on asymmetrical ears to locate prey (owls)
 Some rely more on sense of smell (badgers, moths)
 Many have sensitive whiskers
 Many use scents and calls to locate each other
 Some have developed additional senses (bats and echolocation)
Niche:
 Nocturnal animals use the same resources as animals that are active during the day. Coming
out at night decreases competition.
 They may be prey or predator species.
In the Zoo: (Have kids try to identify nocturnal adaptations during tour)
3 Banded Armadillo
 Roxxy (F), Titan (M) wild caught 2000
 Only armadillo that can curl up into a ball
 Diet: hard boiled eggs, wet dog food, apple, banana, mealworms, melons, crickets
Pygmy Loris
 Bumble (M), Myracle (F) both imported from Canada
 Diet: mixed vegetables, biscuits, grapes, melon, berries, crickets, mealworms
 Developed teeth problems, so teeth are brushed every other week
Springhaas
 Scruffy (M) wild caught 1994
 Rodent from East South Africa plains
 Large hind feet, 30’ leaps; large eyes for good night vision
 Extensive burrow systems w/multiple entrances
 Diet: greens, sweet potato, carrots, rodent chow; like browse, sugar cane, and cheerios
Bush Baby
 Jaymes (M; 3/2/00), Sonia (F; 8/2/92),
Ana (F; 7/20/99, daughter of Sonia
 Diet: dry cat food, mixed vegetables, biscuits, grapes, melon, berries, crickets, mealworms
 Enjoy catching live crickets
 Sonia had her tail amputated because she was biting it (ONLY IF THEY ASK)
Aardvark
 Boss Hog (M;2001), Daisy (F;2001), both wild caught
 East, South African plains
 Not Anteaters
 Long, sticky tongue for termites and ants
 Poor eyesight, excellent sense of smell
 Eat wet dog food and fruit at the zoo; love honey, avocado, peanut butter
Bat Flight
 215 Rousetta Fruit Bats – all female, use echolocation, usually found in dark caves, located in
W. Asia and Africa, especially Egypt. Three hand raised – Chirpy (M: 6/05), Rocky (M:
5/12/07), Pippi (F: 5/15/07).
 14 Jamaican Bats – all male.
 40 Seba’s Short Tail Bats
 20 Bulldog Bats.
Binturong
 Joi (F; 3/20/95)
 Known as “Bearcats” – related to civets, meerkats, mongooses
 Use a scent gland on base of tail to communicate with other binturongs – smells like warm
popcorn
 Plantigrade walker; prehensile tail
 Lives in Canopy of Asian Rainforests
 Fruit eater; eats dog food, biscuits, carrots, sweet potato, banana, apple
Slender Loris
 Lynrd Skynrd (M; 12/5/05) born at MZS, Houdini (F)
 Diet: mixed vegetables, biscuits, grapes, melon, berries, crickets, mealworms
 Enjoys hunting for the crickets
Wombat
 Kindilan (M;6/98)
 Australian Marsupial
 Lives in burrows
 Resembles a bear
 Herbivores
 Grazes at dusk
 Eats grass, bark, roots, herbs; greens, carrots, sweet potato, biscuits
 Females have a pouch
 Usually produce one offspring
Vampire Bats
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About 50 (M&F), Located in Mexico to South America
Bites away fur on animal and laps up blood – does not suck blood
Salavia has anti-coagulant so blood won’t clot
Animal does not feel bat feeding
Diet: Warmed cow blood twice a day
Modified thumbs and back legs let it move on all fours as it hunts,
Strong flier, can also scuttle over the ground with amazing speed and agility
African Crested Porcupine
 Dixie (F, wild caught). Dixie’s two daughters are:
Giblet (F;11/25/04 and Zoey (F: 5/1/05),
 Found in Central to Southern Africa
 Erect quills and run backwards at predator; Cannot shoot quills
 Open hollow quills on tail vibrate when animal is upset- makes a rattle sound
 Born with soft quills, and harden in 10 days
 Eat roots, bulbs, berries, and fruit; bones, cow hooves, sugar cane
 Rest in caves and rocky crevices by day
 Females have 6-8 weeks gestation; Have 1-4 offspring
 Males help care for the young
 Keepers use plastic rectangular push board when in exhibit for protection
Tamandua
 Molly (F;10/27/00), Arnold (wild caught in 2000)
 Molly was hand raised
 Tree anteater; No teeth: 18 inch sticky tongue
 Located in Northern and Eastern South America
 Prehensile tail
 Powerful claws for tearing up ant and termite nest
 Likes eating cat food, honey, watermelons, cabbage, insectivore pellet blended in warm water
with banana and hard boiled egg
 4-5 month gestation
Two-Toed Sloth
 Marilyn (F) after Marilyn Monroe because she has blonde hair (look for her towards the back of
the exhibit), Sparky (M), (look for him closer to the glass); both wild caught 2002
 Located Central and South American forests
 Diet: biscuits, greens, sweet potato, banana
 Cannot walk; Lives upside down
 Strong claws; 2 claws on front feet, 3 on back
 Eats leaves and fruit
 Only goes to ground about once a week to defecate (poop)
6 Banded Armadillo
 Peggy (F) and daughter Jackie (F; 3/14/06) are located in the South American exhibit,
separated from Hank (M, wild caught 2000.
 Jackie: First armadillo birth for the Memphis zoo, born a twin with Joe at the St. Louis Zoo,
parents are Hank and Peggy
 Native to South America
 Digs for food such as grubs; dog food, banana, egg whites
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Build their “houses” with their claws
Houses only big enough for them to fit in
Have short legs but moves quickly
Has ability to hold it’s breath for 6 minutes under water
Known for jumping straight in the air when surprised
Kinkajou
 Benny (M), Joon (F), both wild caught in 1996, Seme (F: 12/7/01) & Valentine (F: 8/29/00,
daughter of Benny and Joan)
 Located in Central and South America
 Also called a honey bear; Related to a raccoon
 Prehensile tail; Has swivel ankles
 Long tongue for nectar feeding
 Enjoys eating insects and fruit, especially banana
 Can hang from tail and one foot rotating around about 180 degrees
Alternate Animals:
Owl Monkey
Coatimundi
Cave Roaches
Emerald Boas
Skunks
Genets
Cacomistles