Meet ‘AJ’ – Staten Island Zoo’s New Addition October 11, 2015

Another terrific visit to the Staten Island Zoo was made even more special by meeting ‘AJ’ the zoo’s new adorable baby tamandua.  AJ weighs a little over a pound and was born on September 8th.  He and Mom, DJ, are resting comfortably off exhibit.  Dad, EJ (Elvis Duran Junior) can be seen in the Tropical Rain forest during the day.  Little AJ and his Mom will be on exhibit in a couple of months. AJ is the second known birth of a tamandua in NYC. Thanks again to General Curator and Veterinarian, Dr. Marc Valitutto for a fabulous visit. There is more information about tamanduas below today’s photo montage.

Tamanduas are native to central and south America. They live in forests and grasslands, are semiarboreal, and possess partially prehensile tails. This is a Southern Tamandua (tamandua tetradactyla), found from Venezuela and Trinidad to northern Argentina, southern Brazil and Uruguay. In their native habitat, they forage for arboreal ants and termites. Occasionally they eat bees, beetles, and insect larvae. In captivity, they will eat fruits and a commercially formulated insectivore diet. They have no teeth and depend on their powerful stomachs to break down their food.
The tamanduas are nocturnal, active at night and hiding during daylight hours. They spend up to half of their time in the treetops. Tamanduas have tapered heads with a long, tubular snout, small eyes, and protruding ears. Their mouths house a tongue reaching up to 16 inches in length.