"Spherical" offspring at the zoo
Since the end of last year, there have been offspring among the puffer armadillos at Chemnitz Zoo. Mum "Piepe" has given birth to a cub. For her and her father "Pacho", this is their first offspring together, as "Pacho" only came to the zoo in August 2019. The keepers found the cub in the female's sleeping box. With a birth weight of just 99 grams, it now weighs 721 grams, which is perfectly normal. It is healthy and lively. The sex has not yet been determined. A first glance by the carers suggests a female. But this will probably only be confirmed in the next few weeks.
At the moment, it is still often hiding in its whelping box and is rarely seen. The best chance is at the weekly weighing on Thursdays at 2 pm, even if it is still very shy. When it is weighed, it curls up into a ball for protection - hence the name ball armadillo. As it is difficult for the keepers to visually assess the nutritional status through the armour, weighing is a good alternative to check whether the mother and young animal are in good health. Father "Pacho" is currently housed separately from mother and offspring, as the males can certainly be dangerous to the offspring, especially if it is also a male.
There are more small "spheres" to discover in the tropical house. The ostrich quails, often described as spherical, also have offspring. As the cock and hen look after the young together, they can always be seen walking around the hall close to their parents. They are now picking their own food, just as their parents show them. However, ostrich quails have a special feature: unlike many other poultry birds, the adult ostrich quails hold the food in the tip of their beaks for the young during the first few days of their lives.
As is usual with pheasants - to whose family they belong - the sexes of ostrich quails also differ clearly in their plumage colouring. The females are not as strikingly coloured as the males. Initially, the young also all have a rather inconspicuous plumage colouring, which contributes to camouflage. Later, the males acquire their conspicuous reddish-brown crest.
www.tierpark-chemnitz.de
Opening hours of the zoo until February: 9 am to 4 pm, last admission 3 pm
Opening hours of the wildlife park until March: 8 am to 4 pm