FARM OF THE FIVE CONTINENTS
Meet domestic animals from around the world!
Animals at the Farm
African Porcupine
Distribution: Africa
Size: 65-85 cm Weight: 15-30 kg
Speed: n/a Gestation: 3.5 months
Lifespan: 12-15 years
The African porcupine is the same size as a beaver, they are the largest rodent in Africa. Their quills can measure up to 30 cm long.
The quills are kept tucked back most of the time. Porcupines will bristle them when they are worried or threatened. They cannot throw them, but in case of contact the quills will remain stuck in the victim.
Meerkat
Distribution: South Africa
Size: 25-35 cm Weight: 0.8-1.9 kg
Speed: n/a Gestation: 1.5 months
Lifespan: 12 years
Meerkats have great eyesight, extremely keen hearing and a strong sense of smell. Their claws are very long and are useful to dig burrows.
They live in groups from two to 40+ individuals, called a mob. All the adults take turns as sentries so the others can search for food without worry. The sentry sits on a high spot, stands on two legs, and announces the start of guard duty with a specific call. A low, constant peeping is a sign that all is well. If a predator is spotted, the sentry alerts the others with a bark or hiss. The alert is different for land predators and those coming from the air.
Fennec fox
Distribution: Africa
Size: 20-30 cm Weight: 0.8-1.9 kg
Speed: n/a Gestation: 1.5 months
Lifespan: 12 years
The fennec is nicknamed the desert fox or the sand fox of the Sahara. In their natural environment, the desert, they use their large ears to evacuate heat from their body.
They are omnivorous and eat insects, rodents, snails, lizards, plants, fruits, roots and eggs. They have adapted to live with very little water; most of the water they need comes from the plants they consume.
Capybara
Distribution: South America
Size: 0.6 meters Weight: 30-100 kg
Speed: n/a Gestation : 5 months
Lifespan: 12 years
Capybaras are the largest rodents in the world. They are semi-aquatic animals. They always live near water and will jump in when threatened. They can stay underwater for up to five minutes at a time to hide from predators.
Capybaras have partially webbed toes. This allows them to swim well and prevents them from sinking into the mud on the river banks!
Flamingo
Distribution: Africa, Asia, Europe, Central and South America
Size: 1.2-1.4 meters Weight: 2.2-2.8 kg
Vitesse: n/a Incubation period: 28-30 days
Lifespan: 40 years
Flamingos spend most of their time eating. The crustaceans in their diet, especially shrimps, are rich in carotenoid pigments. It’s what colors the flamingos’ feathers pink. They have small comblike structures inside their bills to filter water and capture prey. They sleep upright on one or two legs with their head in their feathers.
Alpaca
Distribution: South America
Size: 0.75-1 meter Weight: 55-90 kg
Speed: 55 km/h Gestation: 11-12 months
Lifespan: 25-30 years
The alpaca is the llama’s cousin. They live in the Andes at an altitude of 4,500 meters. Alpaca wool is a high quality fiber. It is softer, warmer, more resistant and lighter than sheep’s wool.
Llama
Distribution: South America
Size: 1-1.2 month Weight: 120-200 kg
Speed: 50 km/h Gestation: 11-12 months
Lifespan: 10-20 years
The llama is domesticated mainly for its lighter, silkier and seven times warmer wool than sheep’s wool. They can also carry up to 20 kilos on their back and their agility in mountainous terrain gives them an advantage over donkeys and horses
African goose
Distribution: Africa
Size: 1 meter Weight: 8-15.5 kg
Speed: n/a Incubation period: 1 month
Lifespan: 10-23 years
The African goose is a breed of domestic goose derived from the wild swan goose. Despite their name, African geese are from China. Domestic geese have a bump on their beaks, whereas wild geese do not.
Rabbit
Distribution: Worldwide
Size: 0.4-0.5 meter Weight: 0.4-2.5 kg
Speed: 40 km/h Gestation: 1 month
Lifespan: 8-10 years
There are about thirty species of wild rabbits in the world. Several of them are threatened because they are highly prized by many predators. They have very fine hearing and their powerful back legs make them fast runners.
Pelican
Distribution: North America
Size: 1-1.6 meter Weight: 6-8 kg
Speed: 50 km/h Incubation period: 30 days
Lifespan: 15-25 years
There are eight species of pelican. They are great at catching fish, their main food. A pocket under their beak serves as a scoop when fishing. They can fly 24 consecutive hours and cover 500 km in one day.
Chicken
Distribution: Worldwide
Size: 0.2-0.4 month Weight: 3-4 kg
Speed: 15 km/h Incubation period: 21 days
Lifespan: 10-12 years
Laying hen begin to lay eggs at 20 weeks and will lay an average of 5 to 6 eggs per week. Fertilized eggs will be incubated for three weeks.
At the Farm you will also see the Inca wall. This long and impressive stone wall is a replica of the spectacular constructions of Sacsayhuamán, Machu Picchu and Cuzco. Several Inca symbols are incorporated into it, such as the nazca lines, the twelve-angled stone of Cuzco, the stone faces of the Kalasasaya temple, the statue and the Sun Gate of Tiahuanaco in Bolivia. There is even a nod to the Mysterious Cities of Gold. This wall delimits the enclosures of South American animals.
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