CategoriesAnimals by

Ferrets

Origin- Ferret origins are uncertain but it is most likely domesticated from the European polecats about 2,500 years ago. New Zealand has the worlds largest population of ferrets.

Lifespan-  6-8 years

Diet- Carnivores. They eat meat, fish and proteins. At Secret Valley, we feed out ferrets a specially designed raw meat diet.

We have three ferrets- Aldi, Lidl and Slinky!

Description- There are four basic colours, the sable, albino, dark eyed white and silver. All other colours of a ferret are variations of these four categories. Female ferrets are called jills, a spaded female is called a sprite. Male ferrets are called hobs and neutered males are called gibs. A group of ferrets is called a business of ferrets. There are strict regulations on ferrets around the world and in some countries it is illegal to keep them as pets.

CategoriesBirds by

Blue and yellow Macaws

Origin- The blue and yellow macaw is a large parrot originating from South America. They nest in the high trees of the rainforest to avoid predators.

Lifespan- Blue and yellow macaws can live up to 50 years, both in the wild and in captivity.

Diet- Blue-and-yellow macaws mainly eat seeds, nuts, and fruits. They use their strong beaks to break open nut shells and to crush seeds. In some cases, they consume clay found at riverbanks which allows them to digest the toxins from unripe seeds that they may have ingested.

Description- Blue-and-yellow macaws are from 81 to 91.5 cm long, weigh from 0.9 to 1.8 kg, and have a wing span of 104 to 114 cm. They are vibrantly colored, with blue on their backs and wings, yellow under parts, green forehead feathers, and green tips on the end of their wings.

Conservation- Considered least concern by the IUCN due to their large geographic range. The population trend is declining but not enough to reach vulnerable statusblueand gold

CategoriesRodent by

Porcupines

Our porcupines love to chase their keepers around their enclosure! It always startles new keepers but its all fun for Asha and Ayo who just want a scratch and some apple.

Origin-  Crested porcupines are found in north and sub-Saharan Africa, mainland Italy and Sicily. They mainly inhabit Mediterranean forests and scrubland.

Lifespan- Up to 15 years in the wild and up to 20 years in captivity

Diet- The crested porcupine’s diet consists mainly of bulbs, roots, tubers, rhizomes, and bark. They will also eat agricultural crops, and occasionally will eat insects, small vertebrates, and some carrion. They commonly chew on bones from carrion to sharpen their teeth, and to provide a source of calcium, phosphorus, and sodium.

Description- The crested porcupine is one of the largest rodents in the world, weighing up to 30kg, and growing nearly up to a meter in length.

Their distinguishing feature is their long quills. The quills are a modified hair, made from keratin They are hollow and stiff, with a sharp, barb covered, point at the end.

The quills are usually black or brown and white in colour and can be up to 35cm long. If threatened they will run at speed backwards towards the threat, embedding the quills deep into them, often causing serious injury. It is a common myth that the porcupine can fire its quills out, however, just like hair, they will fall out regularly.

Like all rodents, the incisor teeth grow constantly and need to be worn down

Crested porcupines are social animals and live in small family groups with an adult pair and their offspring. The communicate using their body language and using a variety of vocalizations. They search for food alone during the night and return to their den in the morning.

Porcupines can run faster than humans and are good swimmers.

Conservation- Although not classed as endangered in any way, numbers in North Africa and Morocco are decreasing at a fast rate due to hunting.

Natural predators for the porcupine include lions, leopards, hyenas and some large birds of prey, although it is rare for them to succeed in killing a porcupine due to their spiky defence system.

The biggest threat to the porcupine is humans, often illegally trapping and killing them for meat, and for their valuable quills. The quills have many uses, including traditional medicine, talismans, fishing lure, and ornaments. The meat is also a local delicacy in many parts of their range.

Due to their taste for agricultural crops such as pumpkin, corn, sweet potato, and young cotton plants, they are often seen as a pest, and are persecuted by farmers. Some farmers will illegally control porcupine populations by lacing food with poisoned bait.porcthing

CategoriesMammals by

Asian Short Clawed Otter

Our otter Gem is very curious and loves to bite his keepers boots! His brother Obi is shy but likes to tap his keepers leg with his paw to get their attention. They both love beef mince.

Origin- The Asian short-clawed otter ranges in coastal regions from southern India to Southeast Asia including the islands of Sumatra, Java, Borneo and Palawan. It inhabits freshwater wetland systems such as swamps, meandering rivers, mangroves and tidal pools as well as irrigated rice fields. They spend most of their time on land unlike other otter species.

Lifespan-Up to 15 years in captivity but can live up to 20 years with excellent care.

Diet- Asian short clawed otters are carnivorous feeding on a variety of crustaceans, mollusks, freshwater fish, rodents and insects. There is seasonal variation in their diet. A large group of otters will also take on larger prey if the opportunity arises.

Description-  Asian short-clawed otters are the smallest species of otter. Weight can range from 1 to 5.4kg. Its body is slender and streamlined. Dark, greyish-brown fur covers most of the body with a lighter cream fur on the face and neck. Otters have a double coat with a fine, waterproof undercoat.

They have sensitive whiskers which sensitive to touch and to underwater vibrations and are important in detecting the movements of prey.

They have very sensitive and dexterous partially webbed paws which they use to catch their prey instead of their mouth. They have small, short claws.

They have a long tail which is used for propulsion when swimming at high speed, to steer when swimming slowly and for balance when standing upright on hind legs.

Short clawed otters are social and have over 12 different vocalizations. They live in large family groups made up of one breeding pair and their offspring.

Conservation- The IUCN lists short clawed otters as vulnerable. They are seriously threatened by rapid habitat destruction, hunting and pollution. Their popularity in the illegal pet trade is also causing wild populations to declineotterthing.