Prague Zoo – Nutcracker: A cub was born!
The cub weighing 135 grams was born by female Run Hou Tang before 04:00 today. “Most of all, it resembles a spruce cone,” enthusiastically described the new addition to the Troy Zoo, its director.
Tail riding
Nutcrackers always give birth to one young, which long riding on the mother’s tail. They are at birth juvenile scales soft and light. However, they will darken and harden within a few days. There are only two gardens in the world where these animals successfully reproduce, the Prague Zoo reports on its website.
Nutcrackers exist eight species. Some of them live in Asia, others in Africa. The scales that protect their bodies are believed to have healing properties in traditional Chinese medicine. That’s why nutcrackers are among the most smuggled mammals, reports the Prague Zoo. Keratin scales provide these nocturnal creatures with protection from predators. In case of danger, nutcrackers spin and hide the unprotected parts of the body, i.e. mainly the abdomen and head, inside the ball.
Bastion for the nutcracker: Worms and larva
Breeding pods is quite demanding, mainly due to ensuring a sufficient amount of suitable food. In nature, nutcrackers use it to obtain food strong DrANDpiles, with which they dig up anthills and termite mounds. They then select the prey with their sticky tongue. In the zoo, the daily feed ration for one pod contains, among other things 100 grams of bee larvae, mealwormsmixture for insectivores, apple, egg yolk, soil and other ingredients.
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The Prague Zoo presented the rare short-tailed nutcrackers to the public for the first time. (May 15, 2022)
Author: Michal Protivanský