Habitat: Their home range is North Africa, from Morocco to Sudan and southeastern Egypt, tropical eastern Africa
Age: They can live up to 21 years in captivity.
Crested porcupines are nocturnal animals that have long whiskers on their face and feet that help them feel their way around at night. Porcupines are rodents, so their teeth grow constantly. To keep them from growing out of control, they eat non-stop. As a rodent, they are able to chew through almost anything!
Porcupines that become alarmed do not shoot their quills. They respond by raising them up similar to the way people respond to the weather by getting goose bumps. The quills of the porcupine are barbed and because they easily fall out when they are raised, it is very difficult for any animal to touch them without getting one embedded in its skin.
Some facts about ours: Auckland Zoo's porcupine lives in an enclosure next to the cotton top tamarins.
Habitat: Lowland forests of central Africa; Guinea Islands, Kenya, Tanzania
Age: 40 years, up to 50 years in captivity
The African grey parrot is a medium-sized parrot that is native to Africa. As the name implies, they are predominantly grey, with accents of white. Some of their feathers are very dark grey and others are a lighter grey colour. They have red or maroon tails depending on the sub species. They feed primarily on nuts and fruits, supplemented by leafy matter.
Habitat: The preferred habitat of the African lion is open savannah and grasslands, but they can also be found amongst sand dunes in the Kalahari Desert
Age: 20 years.
Even in the wild, lions sleep 90% of the time. Unlike domestic cats, big cats roar but cannot purr. They use their roars to communicate, and given the extent of their territory in the wild, it is essential that their voice can be heard at long distances; some as far as 10 km away.
The male lion weighs 200kg on average. The mane protects his throat from attack and makes him look a bigger and fiercer opponent. The female weighs an average of 150kg. Despite their weight, lions are agile athletes, with a sprint speed of 60m/h (same as a racehorse) and a long jump of 10m, the length of about a row of six bicycles. These skills are vital when hunting.
Some facts about ours: Keepers at Auckland Zoo try to simulate natural feeding patterns for our lions. They are fed four times a week, and food is often hidden around their enclosure to trigger their natural hunting ability.
Habitat: American alligators are found from North Carolina to the Rio Grande in Texas. They usually live in freshwater, in slow-moving rivers, but are also found in swamps, marshes and lakes.
Age: The expected lifespan for American alligators is up to 50 years in the wild.
Alligators have a broader, blunter head and snout than their crocodilian cousins. Males can grow up to 5m and females up to 2.5m.
Alligators are well designed for catching their prey with eyes, ears and nose positioned on top of their head. Alligators are capable of staying underwater for up to an hour.
Some facts about ours: Auckland Zoo currently has one mature female American alligator in its collection; her name is Doris.
Habitat: Asian elephants live in habitats ranging from dense tropical forests to grassy plains.
Age: Elephants live for approximately 60 years in the wild and for up to 80 years in captivity.
Asian male elephants (bulls) can weigh up to 4.4 tonnes and the females (cows) up to 4.1 tonnes. Newborn babies are around 125 kg, about the same as three ten-year-old children.
Elephants feature the biggest ears in the world, which have a double function: to hear and to help cooling both the ears and body. These animals also have the longest nose of any animal. It consists of the nose and top lip, and contains over 40,000 muscles. Elephants use their trunk to reach food, suck up water and have a shower, smell, touch, breath, trumpet and as protection.
Some facts about ours: Presently we have one female Asian elephant, Burma, born in 1982.
Encounter: 12noon Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays
Habitat: These otters live in freshwater streams, rivers and creeks, as well as coastal regions, often near dense foliage.
Age: 12 to 14 years in the wild, but in captivity, otters have lived up to 20 years.
Otters are small amphibious mammals that are related to meerkats and skunks.
Otters enjoy gymnastic rough and tumble - tobogganing on their stomachs in the mud!
They are very strong swimmers using their tail to sweep from side to side, helped by their webbed feet.
Otter species are endangered around the world because of loss of their ideal habitat, through pollution and deforestation.
Some facts about ours: Auckland Zoo has a group of female otters. The keepers often hide their food in floating logs and sometimes even place live eels into the enclosure.
Habitat: The golden cats preferred habitat is subtropical or tropical rainforests, interspersed with rocky outcrops. This animal can be found throughout most of South East Asia.
Age: Live up to 20 years.
This species is also known as "fire tigers" because of their beautiful golden coats. They are solitary creatures who share a neutral territory for breeding only. Unfortunately, the golden cat is critically endangered due to habitat destruction and poaching for its magnificent coat.
Some facts about ours: This species is incredibly endangered, and Auckland Zoo is doing its bit to help by attempting to breed our captive cats. Due to their timid nature - our golden cats are held in off-display area
Habitat: Bats prefer to live in dark, quiet areas such as coves or dense forests.
Age: Between 30 and 35 years.
Fruit bats are social creatures that live in small colonies. When asleep, they will hang upside down from trees and wrap their wings completely around their bodies. The fruit bat will give birth in this upside down position, and catch its newborn young with its wings to prevent it falling to the ground.
Some facts about ours: Many people are scared of bats and are under the impression they will drink your blood! Whilst some species do, Auckland Zoo's bats are grey-headed fruit bats. They would much rather feed on nectar and pollen!
Habitat: Blue and gold macaws are seen flying in the upper levels of the tropical rainforests of South America.
Age: 40 years plus.
At 85cm tall and about 1.5kg in weight, these are considered one of the world's largest parrots. Living in flocks of up to 30 birds, this bird has a massive hinged beak and zygodactyl toes pointing forwards and backwards allowing it to grasp food and grip while climbing.
Macaws have a distinctive loud, raucous shriek, which they use to advertise their presence. They also make screeching and squawking noises. Screaming is also a natural behaviour for macaws. They do this to make contact with one another, to define their territory, and as part of play.
Some facts about ours: Michael Batty, one of our longest-serving staff members, was the original trainer of the macaws. By training them, the macaws have an opportunity to really stretch their wings and fly out in the open!
Encounter: 1.15pm Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday
Habitat: Orang utans are arboreal and dependent on large tracts of mature rainforest. They live in tropical rainforests, including both hill and swamp forests.
Age: Orang utans have a lifespan of up to 35 years in the wild or up to 50 years in captivity.
Orang utans are great apes, a type of primate, that are generally solitary animals. They have short courtship periods, but females will look after their young until they are around eight years old.
A dominant male may have a territory that is many kilometres wide and he will call deeply to make sure other males keep out of his patch.
Some facts about ours: Our group in the Just Juice Primate Trail at Auckland Zoo never ceases to amaze their keepers with their antics. They find many ways to use their enclosures, and their keepers spend much of their time creating enrichments for the group. Our orang utans are part of a coordinated breeding programme.
Encounter: 12.30pm Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays
Habitat: The Californian sealion is found off the Californian coastline, in warm and temperate waters.
Age: Their expected life span is between 20 and 30 years.
Sealions appear to 'fly' through the water using their front flippers to pull them. They use their back flippers as a rudder. On land, sealions move by using all four flippers. This is different from seals, which drag themselves along with their front flippers.
Sealion family groups have one male (a bull) and a harem of females. Scuttle and Kipper share their enclosure with two New Zealand fur seals (Kaiako and Moana) and a sub-antarctic fur seal called, Orua.
Some facts about ours: Our sealion keepers spend a lot of time interacting with the sealions with training. This is to stimulate their bodies and minds. It is a most enjoyable experience for the sealions and the keepers, who build up a great bond with their animals.
Habitat: Their preferred habitat consists of savannas, both open and more densely vegetated, which give cheetahs the open areas they need for quick stalks and chases.
Age: Around 7 years in the wild, 10 to 15 years in captivity.
Cheetahs are known for being the fastest animal on four legs, certainly classed as the sprinters of the cat world. They are capable of reaching speeds of up to 110km per hour, but can only sustain this speed for approximately 500m before needing to take a long rest to recover.
Cheetahs make a unique, bird-like sound called a 'chirrup' when they are excited. Mother cheetahs also use the same sound to call their cubs. They can purr, growl, snarl, hiss, cough, moan, and bleat, but cheetahs cannot roar like lions or tigers do. Cheetahs purr very loudly when they are content, the only big cat that can do so.
Some facts about ours: Our beautiful 4 year old boys, Anubis and Osiris, have come all the way from Cheetah Outreach in Cape Town, South Africa.
Anubis weighs approximately 49kgs and Osiris weighs 47kgs.
Habitat: Chimpanzees are found in west and central Africa, from Senegal to Tanzania. They live in forests, mixed savannah, and woodland territories.
Age: 35-40 years (in captivity they may live to 60).
Chimpanzees are our closest animal relatives - we share over 98% of our genetic structure with them, and much of our social behaviour is uncannily like theirs. They are the only other animals that make tools.
Like humans, chimpanzees have opposable thumbs, which help them to grasp branches, and they have fingernails and toenails.
Communication between chimpanzees is very complex and involves facial and hand gestures and vocalisations. Gestures include hand clapping, grooming and kissing.
Some facts about ours: Janie was hand-raised and performed in "tea-parties" during the 1950s. Thankfully, zoos do not continue with this practise anymore, instead concentrating on species breeding and conservation.
Habitat: Cotton top tamarins are arboreal (tree dwelling) in wet tropical forests (rain forests) or dry thorn forests. They are now found only in northern Colombia in rainforests where they live in the mid-lower levels of the forest.
Age: Cotton top tamarins have a lifespan of 12 to 15 years.
These primates live in family groups of about 15 animals, restricted to the Colombian territory. Tamarins are monogamous animals, so they mate for life.
Females dominate the tamarin society and only one female has babies at a time in each group. The male cares for the babies: he is even there to assist at the birth and looks after them throughout the early stages.
Some facts about ours: Auckland Zoo currently has an all male group of cotton-top tamarins.
Habitat: Found in the Solomon Islands, New Guinea and North Eastern Australia. Their habitat is mainly lowland forest or isolated clumps of tall dense trees where they feed on fruits, seeds, nuts, berries, leaf buds, blossoms and nectar produced in the treetops.
Age: 30-50 years in captivity.
Both sexes are incredibly glossy, well-preened colourful birds. The male is a brilliant green colour with blue and red patches, while the female is crimson with a blue underbelly.
Pairs or small groups of these parrots forage amongst the treetops in search of seeds and fruit, during this time they are often extremely noisy. There are two types of calls emitted during feeding. While they are flying from tree to tree, the parrot will make a harsh screeching sound, which it repeats three to four times. When they have settled to feed, they will issue a wailing cry or mellow flute-like call.
These birds are strong fliers and will often set off for long night flights above the canopy. In the evening, they will gather in groups of eighty or more where they will engage in display flights to prove their flying prowess before roosting for the night.
Some facts about ours: Auckland Zoo has four eclectus parrots. They were acquired from private breeders and are a part of a long-term breeding plan at the zoo. They love eating various fruits and enjoy sunflower seeds on special occasions. Visitors enjoy their bright colours and amazing vocal talents.
Habitat: The Galapagos tortoise prefers arid terrain with grassland alternating with high volcanic plains with abundant water and vegetation.
Age: Can live more than 150 years
Galapagos tortoises are reptiles, which live in a group of islands called the Galapagos off the east coast of South America.
These huge animals are threatened in the wild by fire and introduced predators such as feral dogs and pigs. They evolved with no need for speed, as the Galapagos Islands have no native predators for the tortoises.
Our four are merely youngsters clocking in at around 30 years old. A full-grown Galapagos tortoise can weigh 260kg, so it takes five Zoo staff to lift one tortoise.
Some facts about ours: All of our tortoises are relatively young, most are between 35 and 40 years of age. For a species that can live for over 120 years, they are barely even adults!
Encounter: 12.45pm Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday
Habitat: Giraffes are found in arid and dry-savannah zones south of the Sahara, wherever trees occur.
Age: Up to 26 years in the wild or 28 years in captivity.
They are the tallest mammals in the world, with some measuring up to 6m. Although giraffes walk slowly, their walking stride is over 4.5m, so they cover long distances at a time.
Their long necks are key to reach their food, as they browse from the tops of trees.
The hair on a giraffe's tail is 10 to 20 times thicker than human hair.
Each giraffe's pattern is a unique "fingerprint", it's colours work as a camouflage, helping the giraffes blend with the world around them.
A newborn giraffe is 1.6m tall; it needs to be this tall to reach its mother's milk. Calves can stand up as quickly as one hour after they are born. This is vital in the wild, as vulnerable animals are the first target of predators.
Encounter: 11.15am Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and public holidays (Platform 2). 1.15pm Wednesday (Platform 2).
Habitat: Golden lion tamarins are only found in the lowland forests of Brazil. Only 2 to 3 per cent of the golden lion tamarins' original rainforest habitat is still in existence.
Age: In the wild, they will live for approximately fifteen years, whereas in captivity they can live for up to twenty years.
With a silky, golden mane around this monkey's head, it is aptly named! However, this beautiful coat is one of the main reasons for its demise. This tamarin is one of the most endangered animals in the world because it is hunted by poachers, and has had over 95% of its habitat destroyed for plantations.
Some facts about ours: Auckland Zoo has two golden lion tamarins that you can see in the Newstalk ZB Rainforest.
Habitat: Flamingos are found in Central and South America, the West Indies and the Galapagos Islands. Their habitat ranges from coastal salt lagoons to brackish or saltwater shallows. Flamingos may live around lakes far inland or near the sea.
Age: 20 to 30 years; up to 50 years is not unusual
Cartenoid pigments, found naturally in a variety of plants and animals provide flamingos with their pink colouring.
Like us, when they relax weight is put more on one leg than the other.
Very social, flamingo flocks may number up to tens of thousands.
Flamingos are able to breed by the age of six. A single white egg is laid and cared for by both parents. Young are able to fly at around 78 days.
Some facts about ours: Auckland Zoo has a flock of 17 greater flamingos. Apart from a couple of aged individuals in Australia, this is the only flock of flamingos in Australasia.
Habitat: The green and gold bell frog is a native to Australia, and is threatened in the wild due to habitat destruction. The habitat preferred by this creature is amongst the vegetation on the edge of ponds and streams.
The fingers of most frogs are webbed, which provides them with an excellent swimming ability, but very poor climbing skills. However, only the hind legs of this frog are webbed, meaning that they are both an excellent swimmer and an excellent climber!
This frog is notorious for its distinctive croaking, which sounds like a motorcycle changing gears. Only the male croaks and this normally occurs at night.
As a tadpole, the frog will mainly eat algae, but as it morphs into a frog this diet will slowly change to insects such as mosquitoes. When the frog is fully-grown, they have been recorded as cannibalistic, eating other small frogs!
Habitat: Hippos have an essential requirement for water and are never found very far away from bodies of water. Short grasslands, next to lakes or rivers, are their preferred habitat. During the night they will graze in these grasslands and during they day they will wallow in the rivers and wetlands.
Age: 40 to 50 years.
Hippos can stay underwater for at least five minutes. They close their earflaps as they go underwater.
Hippos cannot float, heavy muscles weigh them down, so they either walk along the bottom or paddle to stay afloat.
A hippo's mouth can open up to 150 degrees; this makes an awesome sight and an even better bucket for scooping up and throwing water at other hippos.
Some facts about ours: We have Faith and Fudge, the mother/son team who share the Hippo River exhibit. Snorkel had to be put in a separate enclosure because she does not get along with the others.
Habitat: The kea is unique as it is the world's only parrot found above the snow line, in high country forests and mountains.
Age: Can live up to 15 years in the wild.
The male's bill is much larger than the females. In the huia, its extinct cousin, it was the female who had the larger bill.
Keas mainly eat fruits, seeds, leaves, flowers, and nectar but will also eat insects, grubs, worms and occasionally birds' eggs, so, they are omnivores.
Keas are very curious and are often seen exploring human settlements.
Food is often presented to them in unusual ways, such as floating on a stream, or dangling from a branch. In this way, the Zoo staff are providing enrichment for these charismatic birds.
Some facts about ours: Our keas at the Zoo love to pull apart rotten logs to look for grubs. They investigate any novel objects that the keepers put in for them, even old work-boots.
Habitat: Leopard tortoises are found in southern and eastern Africa. They reside in the savannas and woodlands, from Ethiopia to South Africa. These tortoises favour a semi-arid, thorny habitat.
Age: Average Lifespan is 75 years.
The leopard tortoise is the second largest African mainland tortoise. Females are bigger than males, and weigh up to 45kg.
Grasses and succulents are favourite foods.
Their striking shell pattern provides excellent camouflage from predators in their grassland habitat.
Females reach sexual maturity at 5 to 6 years old and can lay up to 30 eggs at a time. Incubation time varies according to temperature.
Habitat: Arid open plains around the Kalahari Desert, commonly with hard or stony ground
Age: Approximately 10 years, up to 12 years in captivity.
Meerkats are a member of the mongoose family, which are mainly found in Africa.
Meerkats live in one of the world's harshest environments - the desert. Water is scarce, so they rarely drink. They instead find moisture in roots, plants and insects. Living in underground burrows is cooler and provides some protection from predators.
Colonies may number from 10 to 30 animals. Emphasis is on teamwork and cooperation - this is how the group survives. Sharing and caring, everyone does their duty.
Some facts about ours: We have a very interesting enclosure where our young and adventurous visitors can clamber along their own tunnels, popping up inside the Meerkat enclosure at perspex bubble points.
Habitat: New Zealand fur seals range throughout New Zealand, and around western and southern Australia. The main colonies are found around the coast of the South Island and Stewart Island, as well as on many of the offshore islands.
Age: Around 15 years.
Male fur seals can grow up to 1.6m long and can weigh 200kgs. That is four times heavier than females, who often weigh as little as 50kgs.
Fur seals were hunted extensively when New Zealand was first colonised, depleting the population severely. Now they are fully protected, although marine litter and commercial fisheries still pose a threat due to entanglement and ingestion.
Some facts about ours: Auckland Zoo is sometimes asked to rehabilitate New Zealand Fur Seals that are unable to survive in the wild. Although the intention is to release the animals when they are better, this was not the case with Kaiako, who is now a happy and permanent member of the Zoo family.
Encounter: Impromptu - listen for PA announcements
New Zealand scaup (papango) (Aythya novaeseelandiae)
Habitat: Kiwi live in damp dense native forests and shrub land. They are nocturnal - sleeping during the day in burrows or hollow logs.
Age: The expected lifespan of brown kiwis after the first twelve months of their life is approximately 20 years in the wild. When in captivity, these birds usually live to be 30 years old, but some have lived up to 40 years.
The kiwi is only found in New Zealand.
It is related to larger flightless birds, like the ostrich and, unlike the strong, stiff feathers of flying birds, its feathers are soft.
One third of the kiwi's weight is contained in its legs, which makes it a fast runner and means it has a formidable kick.
The kiwi has evolved in New Zealand, where there are no natural predators. However, it is now fighting for its place in the planet, as it has no defences to protect it from possums, cats, rats, stoats and weasels that eat eggs and young. Dogs and pigs also attack larger kiwis.
Some facts about ours: Auckland Zoo is proud to be part of a kiwi rehabilitation programme called Operation Nest Egg (ONE). This programme involves taking kiwi eggs from the wild and hatching them in captivity, before reintroducing the bird into its original habitat. The scheme is a big success, with Auckland Zoo successfully rearing over 140 kiwi chicks.
Encounter: 2.30pm Native Fauna Encounter Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and public holidays. 2pm Saturday and Sunday
North Island kaka (Nestor meridionalis septentrionalis)
Habitat: Kaka are found throughout main islands and mid-altitude native forests. They prefer a habitat that includes larger areas of native bush, podocarp/broadleaf and beech forests. They are also found on some offshore island sanctuaries.
Age: Can live up to 20+ years.
They are closely related to the kea but can be identified by the grey to white forehead feathers and browner body feathers.
Strong bills are used for tearing off bark and ripping open decaying wood as they search for insects and larvae. Fruit, leaves and nectar are also eaten.
Taking care of the 1 to 5 eggs and chicks is the mother's job and Dad brings them food.
Some facts about ours: Auckland Zoo maintains and coordinates the captive breeding programme for kaka. Offspring bred here are often reintroduced to the wild.
The kakas that Auckland Zoo holds are located by the exit to the BNZ Kiwi and Tuatara house.
Habitat: Ostriches are found in central and southern Africa. They live in the open, arid areas of savannah and desert
Age: Between 30 and 40 years.
The ostrich is the largest bird in the world and, unsurprisingly, it lays the biggest eggs.
The average egg size is a huge 15cms, the same as 24 hen's eggs.
With long legs, long neck and large eyes, the ostrich has a natural ability to spot oncoming predators. For this reason, ostriches are often found grazing alongside zebras and springboks in the wild.
Some facts about ours: Auckland Zoo is a leader in providing suitable and stimulating enclosures for our animals. To replicate the ostrich's native habitat, the species shares its enclosure with the zebra and giraffe.
Habitat: Red pandas live only in temperate forests in the Himalayan foothills from western Nepal through northern Burma and in the mountains of south-western China. They live at altitudes of between 4900 and 13,000 feet, in forests with dense bamboo growth.
Age: 14 years, but the average is eight to ten.
Red pandas have features of bears, cats and raccoons. This makes the species hard to classify - it is not even grouped with the Giant panda.
Red pandas are endangered, because of the loss of their natural habitat. Where they live, the human population is growing fast. This leads to over population of the pandas' forest home, which is being destroyed for farms and for firewood.
Some facts about ours: The number of red pandas is slowly increasing in captivity in a co-ordinated worldwide captive breeding programme. Auckland Zoo is part of this important programme and we have raised many young in the last few years.
Encounter: Impromptu - Listen to PA announcements.
Habitat: Lemurs live in Madagascar, an island off the eastern coast of Africa. Ring tailed lemurs inhabit open scrubby areas in the north and south of the island. Their territory range varies from 60m2 to 200m2. As over 85 per cent of the island's ancient rainforests have already been destroyed, ring-tailed lemurs are vulnerable in the wild, and like other lemur species, they are regarded as endangered.
Age: 20 years.
Males rub their scent glands along their tails and waft them at each other over access to the females.
The striped tails are used for balance, to help carry their special smell and to make sure they do not lose sight of each other on the forest floor, as ring-tailed lemurs spend more time walking along the ground than other Lemur species.
It is a female-dominated society; males have to wait while the ladies drink and eat first, and it is the females who get to choose their partner.
Some facts about ours: We have a tight-knit group of lemurs at Auckland Zoo. The male of the group is called Maarten.
Habitat: Servals inhabit plains and forests of northern Africa, mainly living in tall grass savannah areas, and generally near streams with densely vegetated banks.
Age: Lifespan is 12 to 17 years, or up to 19 years in captivity.
Long legs allow the Serval to spy on its prey over the top of long grasses.
They have large erect ears that work like antennae to pick up the rustle of prey.
Both spots and stripes provide camouflage in the dappled shade of long grasses.
Nocturnal hunters, servals have excellent eyesight. In poor light, they can see six times better than you can.
Servals often catch birds by flushing them from tall grass. They can leap 3m in the air to bring them down. That's as high as a basketball hoop! Serval cats are active hunters.
Some facts about ours: Zoo staff encourage these servals to hunt by hiding meat and whole food in cracks and crevices high up around the enclosure. They also encourage play behaviours with a number of enrichment ideas like attaching food to a cord that is pulled around so the cats can pounce on the food.
Habitat: Siamangs are found in the Malay Peninsular and on the island of Sumatra. Their habitat consists of deciduous monsoon and evergreen rainforests, usually at a height of 25 to 30 metres.
Age: Siamangs live about 35-40 years.
Siamang couples guard their territory with loud hooting duets. They announce their presence to avoid confrontation with other groups, and to increase their natural family bonds.
Siamangs are the largest in the gibbon family (of which there are nine species) and a type of primate in the lesser ape group. They live in small family groups and the parents stay together for life.
Siamang gibbon swing through treetops hand over hand: this is called brachiation. With their ability to rotate their shoulder sockets 360 degrees and their long, strong arms and extra long fingers, you can see how they have been designed for this sort of movement. Their legs are small and easily tuck out of the way as they swing through the branches.
Some facts about ours: Auckland Zoo has one siamang currently on display (Iwani) in the Newstalk ZB Rainforest.
Southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum)
Habitat: White rhinos inhabit the African grasslands or savannahs. They prefer open grasslands and floodplains.
Age: Up to 50 years
At 1.8m height and 3.6 tonnes of weight, the white rhino is the largest of five rhino species and the third largest land animal.
Their sense of smell is accurate and the main tool to find food, a mate, or checking for danger. They use scent marking as a way of communication, as well as grunts, snorts, bellows and whistles.
Unlike elephant tusks, rhino horns are made of thousands of strands of very stiff hair.
Some facts about ours: We currently have three white male rhinos, Zambezi and his two sons Inkosi and Mtoto. Normally male rhinos are solitary animals, but our rhino keepers are hoping in the absence of females, that this bachelor herd will continue to live amicably as they mature.
Habitat: Spider monkeys live in mature, tall rainforest habitats, where they prefer the middle to upper layers of vegetation.
Age: Spider monkeys will live for around 27 years in the wild and up to 33 years in captivity.
Spider monkeys have prehensile tails, which means tails can grip to branches, acting as an extra hand. The tail easily supports the monkey's weight - freeing up all four limbs for feeding. Thumbs would get in the way of swinging so they have developed without them.
Spider monkeys live in highly flexible groups, or troops, ranging from six to forty individuals, with females normally outnumbering males two to one. The larger group will break up into sub-groups, which move independently to one another within the same wider territory area. Within each sub-group, females are recognised as leaders, moving in front of the group when in search of food, and deciding the route to be taken. Not all females are leaders, and only the leading females possess the knowledge of food source locations.
Some facts about ours: The Zoo currently has thirteen spider monkeys who are housed in the Newstalk ZB Rainforest enclosure.
Encounter: 12.30pm Thursday, Sunday and public holidays.
Habitat: The Sub Antarctic fur seal is found on the Macquarie, Heard, Kerguelen and Prince Edward Islands. Wandering males are also seen occasionally in Australia, South African and New Zealand.
Sub Antarctic fur seals are short nosed with a distinctive facial 'mask' of black ringed eyes and a creamy orange coloured face. Adult males are usually darker than females, and have a dark crest on the top of the head that stands erect when they are excited.
This species was hunted almost to extinction in the 19th century for its fur. Since being given protection by legislation, Sub Antarctic fur seals have started to colonise new locations and most populations are showing an increase in growth rates.
Some facts about ours: Auckland Zoo currently holds one juvenile Sub Antarctic fur seal called 'Orua'. He was named after the place he was found and was brought back to health by the veterinary team. He was released back in to the wild when he was well enough but was found again in a regional park later. As he was not going to survive in the wild, he is now back in the Zoo and fully integrated with the Zoo's other sealions.
Encounter: Impromptu - Listen to PA announcements.
Habitat: Tigers live in a variety of habitats but require adequate cover to stalk or ambush their prey. Some tigers live at high altitudes in snowy mountain hardwood forests, while others live in monsoon or equatorial rainforests. Generally, tigers require dense cover, access to water, and sufficient large prey.
Age: About 15 to 20 years in the wild, up to 26 years in captivity.
Tail twitching tells a tale, especially of the excitement of an impending hunt - this impulse still prevails in domestic cats.
A tiger's night-time vision is six times better than that of a human, which helps these animals as they usually hunt at night. Stripes provide camouflage against the shadows of leaves so preys are often unaware of the stalking tiger.
Unlike most cats, tigers are keen swimmers; they also use water as a way of cooling off.
Some facts about ours: As tigers are solitary animals, we have two separate enclosures for ours, Oz and Molek. Molek gave birth to 1 female and two male tiger cubs on 12 June 2008. Their names are Jalur, Berani and Cinta.
Encounter: 3pm Saturday and public holidays (Visa Entertainment Tiger Territory)
Habitat: Tuatara live in burrows in native forests but they also enjoy abandoned sheep pasture, where possible nesting sites may be more numerous. They can share burrows with seabirds, such as petrels and shearwaters. Endemic to New Zealand and now found only on offshore islands such as Stephens Island, the Mercury Islands group, Hen and Chicken Islands and Poor Knights Islands.
Age: The expected lifespan of tuatara is 60 to 70 years but it is possible for them to live for 100 years or more.
Tuataras have been on earth for a very long time; in fact, they date back to the time of the dinosaurs.
They are reptiles, but will often choose a damp dark hollow rather than be out in the full heat of the day because they have an unusually low body temperature optimum.
Auckland Zoo has a number of different types or subspecies, of tuatara that come from different offshore islands. These include Stanley Island tuataras, Curvier tuataras and Stephen's Island tuataras.
Some facts about ours: Auckland Zoo is successfully breeding young, some of which are returned to predator-free offshore islands in reintroduction programmes.
Encounter: 2.30pm Native Fauna Encounter Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and public holidays. 2pm Saturday and Sunday
Habitat: Found on open grasslands and along the edge of desert from eastern Africa across to south-western Africa.
Age: Zebras can live for up to 25 years.
They are social animals and live in herds of between five and 15 animals.
No two zebras are the same: like giraffes, the stripe patterns are unique to each animal. Zebras' stripes also help them camouflage in long grass, and the contrasting pattern may confuse attacking lions when a herd is attempting to escape.
Zebras love to roll in mud and dust; this forms a natural mudpack, which shields against insects, heat and the wind. When the mud dries, they shake it off, along with loose hair and flakes of dry skin.
Some facts about ours: Auckland Zoo is a leader in providing suitable and stimulating enclosures for our animals. Our zebras share Pridelands with the ostriches and giraffes.
