CARE OF CAPTIVE ANIMALS — WALKER 339 



insects. Rarely kept in captivity, but one has lived for 38 years in the Phila- 

 delphia Zoo on a diet of one rav? egg and one pint of milk daily, with one 

 teaspoonful limewater added to the milk. The yolk of the egg is unbroken when 

 placed in a shallow dish separate from the milk. 



PLATYPUS or DUCKBILL (Ornithorhynchidae). A primitive egg-laying 

 mammal of Australia, now rare in the wild, and almost never kept in cap- 

 tivity. Inhabits streams, and burrows in the banks. Feeds on small mollusks 

 and probably on water insects. One captured young was kept 4 years on a 

 diet of tadpoles, worms, grubs, beetle larvae, duck eggs beaten up and placed 

 in a vessel of boiling water until the mixture boiled up like milk, then fed 

 in water. The platypus lacks teeth, so apparently needs fine grit with its food. 



marsupials: mostly pouched mammals (MARSUPIALIA) 



OPOSSUMS, MOUSE-OPOSSUMS and WATER OPOSSUMS (Didelphiidae). 

 Almost omnivorous. Should be fed on meat, insects, milk, bread, eggs, green 

 corn, fruit, vegetables, green leaves, and honey. The smaller kinds are so mouse- 

 like in appearance that they are frequently mistaken for rodents, but they have 

 sharp-pointed noses and lack gnawing teeth. 



DASYURES (Dasyuridae) . Almost omnivorous animals of varied habits. 

 Should be offered meat, insects, eggs, bread, bananas and other fruit, some green 

 vegetation, seeds, grain. 



TASMANIAN WOLF (Thylacinidae). Feed meat, supplemented with bread, 

 fruit, vegetables, milk, and eggs. 



BANDED ANTEATER ( Myrmecobiidae ) , An insect eater not known to have 

 been successfully kept. Try meat, eggs, milk, bread, fruit, and soft or soaked 

 seeds. 



BANDICOOTS (Peramelidae), The feeding habits of these marsupials are 

 varied and little known, some of the animals being very rare. Offer grass, clover, 

 and other green vegetation, hay, seeds, meats, insects, bread, and eggs. 



MARSUPIAL MOLE (Notoryctidae). Mainly insectivorous, but probably also 

 eats bulbs and fleshy roots and stems. Offer insects, meat, bread, vegetables, green 

 vegetation, seeds soaked in water. 



CAENOLESTES (Caenolestidae). Extremely rare and little-known inhabit- 

 ants of Andes. Not known to have been kept in captivity. Try same diet as for 

 opossums. 



PHALANGERS (Phalangeridae). This group contains some specialized feeders, 

 but most of its members eat fruit, honey, and vegetation. The koala, or Aus- 

 tralian bear, eats almost nothing but eucalyptus leaves. The smaller kinds are 

 known to eat petals of flowers, flower nectar, and insects. If feeding habits are 

 not definitely known, offer wide variety of green vegetation, fruits, bread, in- 

 sects, and honey. 



KANGAROOS and WALLABIES (Macropodidae). Give them grass, clover, 

 weeds, leaves and twigs of trees, vegetables, grain, hay, bread. 



WOMBATS (Phascolomyidae). Burrowing, herbaceous feeders. Offer vegeta- 

 bles, grain, grass, clover, weeds, and hay. 



EDENTATES (Edentata), HAIRY ANTEATERS (Myrmecophagidae). In the 

 wild, these animals feed almost exclusively on ants or termites, perhaps supple- 

 mented with other small insects. In captivity, individuals sometimes do fairly 

 well on a diet of mealworms and raw eggs and milk stirred up together. Will 

 not survive chilling. 



SLOTHS (Bradypodidae and Choloepodidae). Tropical inhabitants of trees. 

 Leaves, buds, twigs, and fruit furnish almost all of their food. The three-toed 



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