Exotic animals visit kiddos at library

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  Dylan McDaniel with Wild Things Zoofari describes his chinchilla name Henry to children at the Yorktown Public Library. This week’s Friends of the Library program welcomes the Texas Snake Man at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

  Dylan McDaniel with Wild Things Zoofari describes his chinchilla name Henry to children at the Yorktown Public Library. This week’s Friends of the Library program welcomes the Texas Snake Man at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Dylan McDaniel has been working with animals all his life and doing shows with them for five years. On July 3rd, McDaniel from Wild Things Zoofari brought six of his animals to show at the Yorktown Public Library.

McDaniel brought Zeus the red ruffed lemur. Zeus loves to sleep, eat, scream, run, and lastly poop. His favorite thing to eat is watermelon. McDaniel taught the children gathered for the event that red ruffed lemurs are also called “Farmers of Madagascar” because their feces can fertilize seeds. McDaniel also informed everyone that these types of Lemurs are one of the most endangered species, and that they may be extinct in the next 20 years.

“He does not talk quietly,” McDaniel said. Zues is always running and screaming “AH AH AH.”

What loves to roll up in a ball and hide away from predators? You’ve guessed it – an armadillo! McDaniel brought his armadillo named “Tuck.” Normally armadillos live for only 10 years, but Tuck is 15. He is a three-banded armadillo and is one breed of armadillos that can roll into a full ball. Mc-Daniel pointed out that his ears look like tacos and his head resembles a pizza.

“His name is Tuck because he loves to tuck,” McDaniel said.

The next animal Mc-Daniel brought was a gila monster lizard named Gila. McDaniel shared that gila monsters inject venom through their salivary glands by chewing. Gila monsters spend 95% of their lives underground and 5% to come up and raid nests. Each time they raid a nest that is up to three months of food. They also can live up to three months without water. An amazing fact that McDaniel shared with the audience is that scientists created medicine for diabetes by researching gila monsters.

“They are the most and only venomous lizards in the U.S.,” Mc-Daniel said.

The furriest animal that McDaniel brought was a chinchilla named Henry. Lots of people may get this animal confused by a big rat. Chinchillas are classified as rodents because their front teeth never stop growing. They also clean themselves by taking dust baths. McDaniel uses volcanic dust that he dumps in a bucket so Henry can clean himself by doing backflips.

“They can never get wet because they are so soft that the moisture can cause a bacterial infection,” McDaniel said.

McDaniel also brought a fennec fox named Tinkerbell. Fennec foxes have big ears so that they can hear everything underground. Tinkerbell became a house expert and she even learned where the pantry was.

“Tinkerbell is my most energetic and loving animal,” McDaniel said.

The last animal Mc-Daniel brought was a member of the kangaroo clan, an albino wallaby named Marshmallow. McDaniel has several wallabies at his house with his tallest one being three foot five inches. Wallabies defend themselves by kicking. They can also stand on their tales.

“Their toenails are like knives,” McDaniel said.

The audience enjoyed learning different facts about the six animals McDaniel brought. Mc-Daniel also enjoyed presenting the audience with unusual animals that they do not see on a day-to-day basis.

“I loved the chinchilla and it was so cute,” Lennon Stone, audience member, said.

There are three more Wednesday Summer Reading Programs, including the Texas Snake Man on July 10 and Illusions by Blake on the 17th. An End of Summer Party finishes off the season on July 24.