Just in time for the Spring Fling, Noah's Landing is expanding its herd. A baby serval kitten (pictured), a striped skunk, short tail opossums, Siberian chipmunks and a baby kinkajou are just a few of the new faces that will greet guests May 17-18.The new animals are also excellent additions to help fulfill the nature center's educational mission. The striped skunk, for instance, has a distinctive defense mechanism. When threatened, they will actually toss up their tail and hind legs (pulling their body into a U-shape) and spray a pungent liquid at predators. The spray actually comes from two scent glands in their body, which converge into one smelly spray!
The short tail opossum is a unique South American marsupial. While many marsupials raise their young in pouches, baby short tail opossums actually hang on their mother's belly until they are old enough to ride "piggy back." The babies will attach to the mother's teat and the teat enlarges to the point that the baby cannot unhinge their jaw until their jaws grow.
Come see us on the ark soon to meet these new faces!
