>>>
>>> GOOD
>>> GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO NEW DATA NORTHWEST.
THERE ARE A LOT OF NEW BABY
ANIMALS AT THE POINT DEFIANCE
ZOO IN TACOMA.
ONE OF THEM IS HERE ON THE
COUCH WITH US.
HERE TO INTRODUCE US TO
BUTTERNUT THE BABY BEAVER IS
JESSICA SUTHERLAND.
JESSICA SUTHERLAND. WELCOME.
WELCOME.
WELCOME. >> THANK YOU.
>> I HAVE BEEN FEEDING HER.
>> SHE LIKES CORN ON THE COB.
SHE WEIGHS 14 POUNDS.
IT SEEMS LIKE SHE HAS GROWN A
TON BUT COMPARED TO MOM AND
DAD SHE IS STILL REALLY SMALL.
>> IT IS JUST UNREAL.
TELL US ABOUT THE TAIL.
WHAT DOES SHE DO WITH THIS.
>> WE ALWAYS SEE BEAVERS
SLAPPING MUD AND CARTOONS BUT
IT IS MORE LIKE A RIDER ON A
VOTE.
VOTE.
VOTE. >>
VOTE. >> YOU CAN SEE THE WEBBED BACK
FOR LIKE A DUCK.
HOLD ONTO HER FOOT FOR JUST A
SECOND.
SECOND.
SECOND. THAT IS THE PROPULSION JUST
LIKE WEARING A PAIR OF SWIM
FINS.
FINS.
FINS. THEY MORE RELY ON THEIR SENSE
OF SMELL.
OF SMELL.
OF SMELL. NOT ONLY ARE THEY SUPER CUTE
BUT THEY HAVE MUSCLES INSIDE
OF THEIR EAR CANAL SO THEY CAN
ACTUALLY CLOSE THEM OFTEN
KNOCK IT WATER DOWN THERE.
>> THAT SEEMS LIKE A
SUPERPOWER.
SUPERPOWER. SO WE HAVE BEEN FEEDING HER
TREAT OR SOME SORT OF PELLETS.
WHAT ELSE DOES SHE EAT?
>> THEY ARE VEGETARIANS.
THEY WILL EAT MORE FRUITS AND
VEGETABLES.
VEGETABLES. WHAT THEY ARE FAMOUS FOR IS
THE WORD.
THE WORD.
THE WORD. THEY WILL EAT THE SOFT OUT A
PART AND THEY WILL USE THE
CORE, THE HARD PART TO BUILD
THEIR LARGEST.
THEIR LARGEST. >> IS THE NUTRITIONAL VALUE IN
THE OUTER PART?
>> THAT IS WHERE THE MOST
NUTRITION IN THE WORD IS.
>> THAT IS ABSOLUTELY
FANTASTIC.
FANTASTIC. SHE SEEMS VERY HAPPY AND WELL
ADJUSTED.
ADJUSTED.
ADJUSTED. SHALL WE MAKE A TRADE?
CAN WE DO THAT?
>> WAS SENT HER BACK TO HER
CRATE HERE.
CRATE HERE. SHE SEEMS TO LIKE IT.
>> WE ARE GOING TO MISS YOU.
>> AND THEN THE ARMADILLO HAS
BEEN A LITTLE TRUNK THIS
MORNING AND MAKING SO MUCH
NOISE.
NOISE.
NOISE. I'VE SEEN ARMADILLOS MANY
TIMES BUT I HAVE NEVER SEEN A
BABY.
BABY.
BABY. THIS IS SO CUTE.
>> HE IS NOT A BABY.
>> HE IS FULL-SIZED.
THIS IS A SOUTHERN THREE BAND
ARMADILLO.
ARMADILLO. WE ARE MOSTLY FAMILIAR WITH
THE ARMADILLOS WE HAVE IN THE
SOUTHERN UNITED STATES WHICH
ARE NINE BANDED.
SO IF YOU LOOK BACK YOU WILL
SEE THIS.
SEE THIS.
SEE THIS. HE HAS THREE JOINTS IN HIS
ARMOR WHICH IS WHERE THEY GET
THE NAME FROM.
IT IS MADE BY BONE AND COVERED
BY THIS TOUGH AND HORNY SKIN
ON TOP.
ON TOP.
ON TOP. >> IT FEELS LIKE A HARD
PLASTIC.
PLASTIC.
PLASTIC. >> IT PROTECTS THEM REALLY
WELL AGAINST PREDATORS.
>> HIS HEAD FITS DIRECTLY BACK
INTO THEIR.
INTO THEIR. >> YOU CAN CURL UP COMPLETELY
INTO A BALL.
HE IS PROTECTED BY HIS ARMOR
LIKE A LITTLE PUZZLE PIECE.
>> HE IS LIKE A GRAPEFRUIT.
>> LOOK AT HIS LITTLE EARS.
THEY ARE NOT SOFT AND FURRY.
DOES HE HAVE GOOD HEARING?
>> HE DOES.
I BROUGHT A LITTLE TREAT IF
YOU WANT TO FEED HIM.
IT IS YOGURT.
TAKE A LITTLE BIT IN THE SPOON
AND HOLD THE SPOON OUT TO HIM.
>> I DO NOT WANT TO GET IT ON
YOUR PANTS HERE.
>> THEY ARE INSECT EATERS.
THE WILL BE STICKING IT INTO
THE AND BEST.
VANILLA YOGURT TENDS TO BE
THEIR FAVORITE TREAT.
THAT MUST BE THE CLOSEST TO
AUNT FLAVORED.
AUNT FLAVORED. >> DELICIOUS AND FULL FAT AUNT
FLAVORED YOGURT.
FLAVORED YOGURT. SO HOW OLD IS HE?
>> HE IS 17.
>> THAT IS GETTING OLDER FOR
AN ARMADILLO.
AN ARMADILLO. >> OKAY.
>> OKAY.
>> OKAY. WHO IS NEXT?
>> THIS IS THE LAST ONE TO
JOIN US.
JOIN US.
JOIN US. THIS IS OUR RHINOCEROS.
THIS IS TITAN.
HE LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE
DINOSAUR.
DINOSAUR.
DINOSAUR. THEY ARE NAMED RHINOCEROS
IGUANAS FOR THE SPIKES ON HER
NOSE AND THE BIG FAT PADS
BEHIND THEIR HEADS.
>> I THINK HE IS JUST AMAZING
LOOKING.
LOOKING.
LOOKING. >> IT LOOKS LIKE A WATERCOLOR
ON HIM.
ON HIM.
ON HIM. >> THERE ARE THINGS LIKE THAT
BUT THIS IS THE ONLY
ENDANGERED TYPE OF IGUANA.
THEY ARE FOUND NEAR HAITI AND
THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.
>> THIS IS HIS EARDRUM.
OF COURSE, HE HAS LOTS OF
SCALES AROUND IT.
>> IF HE WERE FIGHTING A
PREDATOR WHAT HE FIGHT OR
SCRATCH WITH HIS BIG FEET?
>> HE CAN WHIP WITH HIS TAIL.
HE HAS THESE SPIKES ON HIS
TAIL AND IF YOU ARE CAREFUL
YOU CAN FEEL HIM LIKE A
SERRATED KNIFE.
SERRATED KNIFE. IT IS SO SHARP.
>> THAT WILL GET YOUR
ATTENTION.
ATTENTION. >> HE CAN WHIP WITH HIS TAIL
AND/A PREDATOR.
AND/A PREDATOR. A LOT OF THE ARMOR IS ALSO FOR
EACH OTHER.
EACH OTHER. HE IS THREE AND A HALF YEARS
OLD.
OLD.
OLD. HE
OLD. HE IS STILL GROWING.
HE IS ABOUT HALFWAY THERE ON
THE LINK HE'S GOING TO BE AND
THEN THEY GET BIG AND MOSTLY.
. I BROUGHT HIM SOME
BLUEBERRIES.
BLUEBERRIES. >> I AM NOT SURE THAT I WANT
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> DOES HE WITH HIS TONGUE OUT
AND GRAB IT TO MIKE
>> HE DOES.
HIS STORY IS ACTUALLY REALLY
INTERESTING.
INTERESTING. BECAUSE HE IS AN ENDANGERED
ANIMAL THE REASON HE IS AT OUR
ZOO IS SOMEBODY IS TRYING TO
SELL HIM AS A PET AND HE WAS
CONFISCATED BY AUTHORITIES.
>> THAT IS REMARKABLE.
WE ALSO HAVE A NEW BABY.
THEY ARE LITTLE BIT SMALLER.
>> THAT IS THE BABY TAPER.
THEY ARE SO ADORABLE.
AS ADULTS THEY LOOK LIKE AN
OREO COOKIE.
OREO COOKIE. THESE ARE FOUND IN THE RAIN
FOREST.
FOREST.
FOREST. THEY ARE LOOKING TO HAVE A
BABY.
BABY.
BABY. WE
BABY. WE HAVE HAD A NAMING CONTEST
FOR THE TAPER.
I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF OREO
IMMEDIATELY.
IMMEDIATELY. >> I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU WILL
TELL US THE WINNING NAME TODAY.
>> HIS NAME IS WINNER IN
JAPANESE.
JAPANESE.
JAPANESE. THE ANTEATER IS FOUND IN SOUTH
AMERICA.
AMERICA.
AMERICA. >> WE GET TO SEE ALL KINDS OF
THINGS THAT WE