Prehensile-tailed porcupine born at Point Defiance Zoo for first time
Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium welcomed a prehensile-tailed porcupine on August 17, the first birth of the species in the zoo's 121-year history. Parents Nigel and Quillow produced the porcupette through a breeding recommendation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan. Head Veterinarian Dr. Karen Wolf examined the one-week-old porcupette, listening to its heart and lungs, checking its eyes and mouth, and weighing it. The team collected quills for DNA analysis to determine sex, since the animal's anatomy makes visual identification difficult. The porcupette will stay behind the scenes at the Wild Wonders Outdoor Theater with its parents.
The Species Survival Plan breeding recommendation helps maintain genetically diverse populations of prehensile-tailed porcupines across accredited zoos and aquariums.
Source: pdza.org.
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