Rabbits

Bucky & Cottonball

• Lagomorphs, not rodents

• Eastern cottontails are their wild cousins

• Herbivores

• Lagomorphs are one of the oldest mammalian groups

Domestic Ferrets

Buddy & Henry

• Domesticated over 2500 years ago in Europe

• Extremely flexible spine with 44 vertebrae

• Distant relative of Black footed ferret, one of North America's most endangered mammals

• Mustelid family (MD has 5 mustelid species)

Opossum

Vinnie

• North America's only marsupial

• Prehensile tail useful as safety line, but not to sleep hanging upside down

• Omnivore with varied diet

• 4 opposable thumbs

Chinchilla

Ben, Smokey, & Max

• Herbivores

• Critically endangered in the wild

• In the rodent family

• Extremely soft fur with about 50 hairs per follicle