Fascinating Mammals
Dive into the wonders of Fascinating Mammals! From the friendly binturong that smells “like buttered popcorn” to the quirky Coati that scurries about, each of these remarkable animals has a story to tell - and some, most people have never seen before. Don’t miss the chance to observe the playful antics of a Hyena, lumbering Porcupine, or the little Muntjac with a “big deer” attitude. Bring the whole family for an unforgettable experience discovering the lives of these incredible species!
Ferret
The ferret is the domesticated form of the European polecat. Ferrets spend 14–18 hours a day asleep and are most active around the hours of dawn and dusk, meaning they are crepuscular. Unlike their polecat ancestors, which are solitary animals, most ferrets will live happily in social groups. A group of ferrets is commonly referred to as a “business.” As pets, however, they are illegal in California.
American Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae, which also includes the otters, polecats, weasels and wolverines. The European badger is one of the largest; the American badger, the hog badger and the honey badger are generally a little smaller and lighter. Monterey Zoo’s American badgers were both born in other zoos and arrived at as babies. Both have become an important part of the Monterey Zoo’s education and conservation programs. Hand raised in Charlie’s home by Charlie’s wife Lisa, they remain favorites of all amongst the Monterey Zoo Staff.
Two-Toed Sloth
Sloths are identified by the number of long, prominent claws that they have on each front foot. There are both two-toed and three-toed sloths. All sloths are built for life in the treetops. They spend nearly all of their time aloft, hanging from branches with a powerful grip aided by their long claws. Monterey Zoo is home to two, two-toed sloths, one male and one female. Both enjoy the warm and humid environment of our Rain Forest Exhibit where they share that humid-warmth with our reptiles. Be sure to ask a keeper how you can arrange to meet one of our sloths up-close and personal on a private tour at Monterey Zoo.
African Crested Porcupine
Porcupines are lumbering, rotund rodents with needle-like spikes, called quills, covering their back, sides, and tail. It’s easy to tell when porcupines are mad: they stomp their feet, hiss, and shake their quills, which normally lie flat against the porcupine’s body. African Crested porcupines have a much longer-thicker quill than the North American Porcupines. Porcupines use their quills to defend themselves however they cannot “shoot” the quills out of their body, an animal must make contact with the porcupine to get stuck and usually the quill comes out of the porcupine and remains in the animal that touched it.
Red Kangaroo
Of all the animal unique to only Australia, none represent the country more than Kangaroos. They live groups called “mobs”. Kangaroos are athletic and fast. They belong to the animal family Macropus, which literally means “big foot.” Thanks to their large feet, kangaroos can leap some 30 feet in a single bound, and travel more than 30 miles per hour. Kangaroos are native to Eastern Australia.
Our mob at Monterey Zoo is currently comprised of one male and one female kangaroo. Both were hand-raised in the homes of our keepers, and our relationships with our kangaroos are similar to those we share with our domestic
dogs and cats. Although kangaroos are known for the pouches only the females have a pouch. The males do not. But they certainly grew up in them, for when kangaroos are born, they are only partially developed and crawl from the birth canal to their mother’s pouch where they continue to develop for several months.
Bennett’s Wallaby
Yet another marsupial native to Australia, Bennet’s wallabies are much smaller than kangaroos, living in groups called a “court”. They only live approx. 9 years in the wild and are endangered due to hunting and habitat loss. They preferred more wooded areas for protection. The word wallaby is derived from the Aboriginal people.
Spotted Hyena
Spotted hyenas are scavengers and often dine on the leftovers of other predators, but they also skilled hunters that will take down wildebeest or antelope. The term “laughing hyena” comes from sounds made by a hyenas when they are nervous or excited. Unlike most animals that are born with spots and loose them later in life, hyenas are actually born black and develop their spots later in life. They’re truly like no other animal as they are born with a full set of teeth, their hair grows “backwards” on their body, their born with the eyes open and will literally eat and digest EVERY part of the prey they kill or come across.
Coati
The Coati is South America’s version of a raccoon, with a personality similar to our North American raccoon. They can be cranky as they get older. Also known as Coatimundis, or white-nosed coatis, they are diurnal, meaning they are most active during the day, and spend their time foraging for food on the ground while sleeping in trees at night. They are highly social, living in bands of related females and their young, with adult males typically solitary.
Opossum
A big part of our education program as we are able to show people how truly beautiful and “soft” these animals truly are up-close versus at a distance on the side of the road. North America’s only marsupial is very deserving of our love and respect.
Cavy
Cavy can be any of 14 species of South American rodents, including guinea pigs, maras, yellow-toothed cavies, mountain cavies, and rock cavies. Monterey Zoo’s cavy were hand-raised by our keeper staff in their homes making them education ambassadors at the Monterey Zoo. They share a mixed species habitat with our kangaroos, wallabies and muntjac ~ all co-existing well together.
Muntjac
An old-timer but very much loved favorite at the Monterey Zoo, our muntjac enjoys his daily visits from guests offering rose petals for treats. Also known as barking deer and Mastreani deer, Muntjacs are the oldest known deer, thought to have begun appearing 15–35 million years ago. They are native to South Asia and are also found in the lower Himalayas and in some areas of Japan. They are extremely identifiable by their obvious “fang” that protrudes from their mouth, a very unusual physical characteristic for a deer.
Fennec Fox
The fennec fox is a small fox native to the deserts of North Africa. Their most distinctive feature is their unusually large ears, which serve to dissipate heat and listen for underground prey. The fennec is the smallest fox species.
Monterey Zoo’s fennec foxes came to our zoo us at two different times from two different places . Their introduction to each other has been interesting. Some days we find them cuddled up together while on others, she won’t let him get close. Go figure! The Monterey Zoo is always an interesting place to be.
Binturong
A binturong has a face like a cat’s and a body like a bear’s. They are also called bearcats, but that name is misleading since these animals are not related to either bears or cats. Binturongs are in the civet family and due to a scent gland that helps them mark their territory with a verydistinctive odor, they do in fact smell very similar to popcorn, as do the keepers that handle them. Binturongs are primarily nocturnal, sleeping during the days and moving through their home in the trees looking for fruit at night. Monterey Zoo’s binturong is an extreme favorite of many of the keepers at Monterey Zoo as he does a great deal to promote education and conservation.
Striped Skunk
Striped skunks are native to much of North America, including southern Canada, the United States, and northern Mexico. Striped skunks have distinctive black and white stripes, which serve as a warning signal to predators, indicating that they possess a strong, foul-smelling defense spray. But they are also bred in captivity to include various other color variations to include apricot (orange), albino (white), and chocolate (brown) like that which currently calls Monterey Zoo its home.
Mammals Habitats
Discover the Mammals Habitats at Monterey Zoo, where a diverse range of mammals thrive in environments that mimic their natural homes. Each exhibit - located throughout the zoo - is carefully designed to educate and inspire visitors about these magnificent creatures. Don’t miss your chance to see them in action – plan your visit and explore the wonders of wildlife like never before! Be sure to check out our continuing Habitat Improvements also!
Zoo Map