Do you think you know what animal this is? Do you know where it lives in the wild? Where do you think we took this picture?

Please send your answers to mebarr@cts.com and we will post your answers below. The official answer will follow.

Answers as of August 7, 96:

Is it a Pika? You took the picture at a zoo. It probably lives in Peru, or Africa.

-- submitted by Kristin at: dlondon3@ix.netcom.com

The picture--is it a capybara ?. We think maybe it lives in South America, and we're pretty sure you took that picture at the San Diego Zoo!

-- submitted by Cyrano and Penelope the guinea pigs at: annieboo@norfolk.infi.net

capybara, austrailia, I think it is the zoo.

-- submitted by Janis A. Rumpakis at: GLFR15A@prodigy.com

Wow, what a tough act to follow!

Please keep your guesses coming in. More to come, so stay tuned...

Answers as of August 9, 96:

It might be an Agouti. You might have taken it in Washington, D.C. at the zoo there. Are you going to put the answer on your page?

-- submitted by Laura Braz annieboo@norfolk.infi.net

I believe this month's Cute & Cuddly is a member of the deer family called a Pudu. In the wild it lives in South America, especially in Chile & Argentina. I would have to guess that you took the picture at the San Diego Zoo in California.

-- submitted by Gail D'Augustino at: jasperd@frontiernet.net

Thank you for your participation. There was one person who guessed what animal this is and where this particular one lived. Ms. Ann Braz, Laura's mother and Cyrano and Penelope grandmommy. And the answer is ... drum roll, please ...

The following statement was posted on a sign on Discovery Island in Walt Disney World where we photographed the August '96 Cute and Cuddly. The photograph was taken in January 1991.

PATAGONIAN CAVY Dolichutis patagona The large rabbit-like animals you may see dur- ing your walk on the Island are Cavies. Native to Patagonia, in South America, Cavies are mem- bers of the guinea-pig family. They prefer open grassland and live in burrows to escape natural predators such as the Jaguar. Cavies are naturally calm animals and can be approached slowly. When alarmed, however, they will run with a hopping gait. They feed mainly on grasses.

A wholehearted thank you to the Patagonian Cavy participants!

We have added some of your excellent guesses as entries in the Cavy Lexicon. You can also see many of our beloved guinea pigs' relatives at Cavy Cousins, a brand new feature of the Cavy Chronicles. Please check it out and let us know what you think.

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