Life's A Zoo with Mallory Clark: webisode 3

Webisode 3 Patagonian Cavy

Life's A Zoo with Mallory Clark webisode three. . .

Today Mallory is at ZooWorld in Panama City Beach, Fl highlighting a fascinating furry rodent, the Patagonian Cavy. Life's A Zoo is a media based education program aimed to share interesting facts about conservation and zoology in the form of mini webisodes. Our mission is to spread wildlife conservation, education, and research to all ages through media and public interaction . . . basically get the public interested and involved. For more information about Life's A Zoo and Mallory Clark visit www.malloryclark.com or become a fan at www.facebookcom/lifesazoo .

*Life's A Zoo is always looking to enhance content and visit different locations around the US. If you know, or have connections, to any kind of animal facility (whether zoo, rehab center, farm, sanctuary, etc) please contact the host at mallory@malloryclark.com

Mission
To spread wildlife conservation, education, and research to all ages through media and public interaction.

Interesting Facts about the Patagonian Cavy

Also known as mara, Patagonian cavies are found in the dry grasslands of the Argentina foothills, an area known as Patagonia.

The Patagonian cavy, Patagonian hare, Patagonian mara is listed as Near Threatened (Near Threatened (NT)

Closely related to guinea pigs, chinchillas, degus and capybaras, the Patagonian cavy is the second largest rodent in the world. When full grown, they stand up to 2 feet tall at the shoulders, can be as much as 2 1/2 feet from nose to tail, and weigh nearly 35 pounds! Only the capybara - at 4 feet from head to tail and weighing up to 100 pounds - is larger.

Have large ears and long legs increase the surface area of their bodies, which helps keep them cool during the hot Patagonian summers. Their large ears also mean they have excellent hearing. Their long legs make them fast runners and high jumpers. In fact, Patagonian cavies can use leap over six feet into the air and can run nearly 30 miles per hour, even over long distances!

Extremely social animals, they live in large groups of monogamous pairs.

Their young are kept in communal burrows and all the females in a group share baby care duties. Having up to 15 litters in one burrow!

Including over 1,700 different species, the rodent family is by far the largest and most diverse order of mammals, including animals as seemingly different as the field mouse, the porcupine, and the springhaas. However, all have several characteristics in common.

Most scientists divide rodents into three sub-orders. These are:
•Sciuromorph This sub-order includes squirrels and porcupines
•Myomorpha This sub-order includes mice, rats, gerbils and similar animals
•Caviomorpha This sub-order includes chinchillas, capybaras and similar animals

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Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Life's A Zoo
• Mallory Clark
• conservation
• zoos
• ZooWorld
• Patagonian Cavy
• animals
• education
• rodents