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Belize animals at the Zoo
By Teresa Dickert
You can pretend you’re visiting Belize, like six Wisconsin teenagers did for real last summer (see pages 4 and 14). Come to the Milwaukee County Zoo to see the tapir and spider monkey. Both of these animals live in Belize. In this Central America country the Zoological Society has many projects to protect these animals.
Spider Monkey
What’s that dark shadow up at the top of the forest? It has lots of limbs. It moves fast, like a spider traveling across your ceiling. But it’s so big! It’s a spider monkey. These monkeys move through trees as fast as humans can run on the ground. They swing with their hands, their feet and even their tail. The tail is like another arm because it can grasp branches. The underside of the tail has no hair and is lined with ridges that work like a human’s fingertips. The ridges give the monkey a good grip on branches, and help it pick up small objects. Spider monkey hands have no thumbs. Instead, they form hooks with their hands, making it easier to swing.
The Milwaukee County Zoo has seven black-handed spider monkeys. You can see them hanging around in the Primates of the World building. Myrtle and Bill are the older ones. There is also a young family of five. Each of their names ends with the word “tenango,” which means “place that is walled.” Mom Momostenango and Dad Quezaltenango have two sons, Chimaltenago and Huehuetenango. Their aunt is Mazatenango.
Baird’s Tapir
Watch out! There’s a 700-pound tapir running at you in the Belize forest. It has a snapping jaw, a strong bite and tough skin. Tapirs are tough and can fight off many animals. They can even run after you in the water. They have a keen sense of hearing and smell. They know where you are. So it’s much safer to visit the Baird’s tapir at the Zoo.
What animals do you think are related to the tapir? Tapirs look a bit like anteaters, but an anteater’s nose is long and rigid. A tapir has a short, fleshy snout. Just like an elephant, a tapir can use its nose to pull plants into its mouth. But it isn’t related to an elephant, either. The clue is the tapir’s cloven (split) hooves. The horse and rhinoceros are the tapir’s closest relatives. Cloven hooves come in handy for walking on soft, muddy ground. Tapirs can walk or run with ease by spreading out their toes (three on each back foot, and four on the front feet). Unfortunately, their tracks are easy to see for hunters, one of their greatest threats.
You can see the Zoo’s tapir family in warm weather in the South American yard. In winter they keep warm in Winter Quarters and are not on exhibit. Eve is the mom, Harley is the dad and Bobbi is their daughter.
