Zoo Děčín has its first cub this year

"The cub was born on Saturday, February 8. It was born by a twenty-three-year-old female named Melody. The father is ten-year-old Tyrion. Together they have already brought 3 offspring into the world," said zoologist Peter Haberland. The cub from this coupling is very genetically valuable because the female Melody comes from a wild capture in Guatemala. Melody is an experienced mother, this is her fourth cub (note: the first cub was born in Prague Zoo), so she takes good care of the cub, carrying it tightly strapped on her belly. The zoo does not dare to determine the sex of the cub yet. It will be known as soon as the cub grows up and the female starts to let it out more. One interesting thing about this species is that the females have a very prominent clitoris, which can easily be mistaken for a male's penis. Visitors may, with luck, see the cub in the outdoor enclosure, where they are understood to have access all day, but of course they follow their instincts and take advantage of the comfort of the indoor enclosure in the event of bad weather. Zoo Děčín has been breeding Central American Mexican chappies since January 2019 and, together with Zoo Prague, it is the only zoo in the entire Union of Czech and Slovak Zoological Gardens that breeds them.

Understood Central American Mexicans have a small body, long limbs, and a prehensile tail that they lean on as they move along the ground. South American Indians call them "mono araña", meaning "spider monkey", and their English name "spider monkey" also suggests much about their appearance. They do indeed look like large hairy spiders in the treetops, and when they move on the ground, walking upright on their hind legs, they can resemble aliens. They are New World monkeys, inhabiting mountain and rain forests, or mangroves in Central or South America. Specifically, Central American Mexican monkeys are understood to live in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador. They are one of the most endangered chapan subspecies ever, threatened by habitat loss in their native habitat, and are also widely hunted by humans for food. In many ways they are very interesting animals. With their prehensile tail serving as a fifth limb, they can also pick up objects as large as a pea. Another interesting fact is that they have stunted thumbs on their forelimbs. However, this is not some primitive trait, but an adaptation for dexterous movement high in the treetops. Female chappies are very devoted mothers. They carry a single young on their backs and have another offspring only after two or three years, when the young is completely independent. The diet of the chappies is mainly fruits and vegetables, leaves or flowers of plants, seeds or nuts. They rarely eat animal food.

Source: Zoo Děčín