Exotic animal specialist Dr. Evan Antin was recently named People magazine's "sexiest beast charmer." Dr. Antin, who has worked as a part-time model and a physical therapist, brings some of his favorite exotic creatures to The Doctors' stage.
"I've been lucky with primates, and primates can be frightening, don't get me wrong. I haven't had too many bad encounters with them," Dr. Antin says. "I just put out so much man pheromone, they get competitive about it."
Binturong
- Are often called "bear cat" because their faces look like a cats, and their bodies look like a bears, but they are not related to either animal
- Have prehensile tails that are almost as long as their bodies and can act like a fifth hand
- Can turn their ankles backwards so their claws can grip tress when they climb down head first
- Live in tropical rainforests and jungles in Southeast Asia
- Eat lots of fruit and help spread seeds, which helps replant the rainforest
- Eat rodents, which helps keep the pest population under control
Source: The Animal Facts
Capuchin Monkey
- Live in Brazil and other parts of Latin America
- Have long tails that can wrap about branches
- Can jump nine feet
- Communicate with others in their group by singing various calls
- Are good at catching frogs and cracking nuts
Source: Rainforest-Alliance
Porcupine
- Native to Asia and Africa
- Are the third largest rodent in the world
- Have quills that they shoot when they are in danger
- Can grow new quills to replace old ones
- Consume tree bark as well as twigs, leaves, plants and herbs
- Are excellent swimmers and climbers
Source: BioExpedition
Lemur
- Native to the Island of Madagascar and the neighboring Comoro Islands
- Known as prosimians, which means pre-primates
- Females are dominant
- Spend most of their time at the top of the rainforest canopy
- Have opposable thumbs and big toes
- Use teeth and extended "toilet claw" on second toe of their hind feet for grooming
Source: Lemurs.us
Learn what you can do to prevent rare animals from going extinct.
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