{"id":115,"date":"2019-11-25T15:13:03","date_gmt":"2019-11-25T20:13:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ongovpressreleases.kinsta.cloud\/?p=115"},"modified":"2026-01-22T19:35:57","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T19:35:57","slug":"county-executive-ryan-mcmahon-welcomes-two-southern-tamandua-anteaters-to-rosamond-gifford-zoo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onondaga.gov\/communications\/2019\/11\/25\/county-executive-ryan-mcmahon-welcomes-two-southern-tamandua-anteaters-to-rosamond-gifford-zoo\/","title":{"rendered":"County Executive Ryan McMahon Welcomes Two Southern Tamandua Anteaters to Rosamond Gifford Zoo"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dexter and Derby are on display now<\/p>\n

SYRACUSE, N.Y. \u2013 Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon welcomed Dexter and Derby to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo family today. Dexter and Derby are Southern Tamandua Anteaters and the latest addition to the growing zoo family.<\/p>\n

Tamanduas are a genus of anteater with two species, Northern and Southern, that live in the Northern and Southern parts of South America. They are called lesser anteaters because they look like a smaller version of the giant anteater that hails from the same part of the world.<\/p>\n

The tamanduas \u2013 a male and a female — arrived at the zoo from Michigan and can be found on exhibit in the zoo\u2019s Animal Adaptations wing.<\/p>\n

County Executive McMahon said, \u201cDexter and Derby are a special and unique addition to our zoo family.\u201d McMahon continued, \u201cWe have a tremendous team and are fortunate to be among the few accredited zoos that have a nocturnal area, which allows us to have nocturnal animals like sloths, the new kiwi bird and now these tamanduas.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nocturnal animals are active at night and sleep during the day. The zoo\u2019s Animal Adaptations exhibit includes a nocturnal area that\u2019s on a reverse light cycle where lights go on at night and off during the day, enabling zoo visitors to see the animals when they are awake.<\/p>\n

Tamanduas also are arboreal, meaning they spend most of their time in trees. They have long, sharp claws that help them climb, long snouts ending in a tiny toothless mouth and long, thin tongues that they use to forage for food. In the wild they eat mostly social insects like ants, termites and bees. At the zoo they receive a \u201csmoothie\u201d of insectivore diet, ground beef, honey, yogurt, milk replacer and Vitamin K.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Keepers named the male tamandua Dexter and the female Derby in keeping with the zoo\u2019s 2019 \u201cI Love New York\u201d animal-naming theme. Dexter is a village in Jefferson County and Derby is a hamlet in Erie County.<\/p>\n

Zoo Director Ted Fox said the Friends of the Rosamond Gifford Zoo was instrumental in providing support to bring tamanduas to the zoo. \u201cThese are among several unique species that have come into our care recently, and we are very grateful to the Friends for the many ways they support the zoo and the animals in our care.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dexter and Derby are on display now SYRACUSE, N.Y. \u2013 Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon welcomed Dexter and Derby to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo family today. 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