Gaia the Armadillo Gets An Ultrasound

Gaia the 3 Banded Armadillo goes to the vet for an ultrasound to see if she's pregnant or not!
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[@maromania7]

Gaia is an animal whose instincts and entire evolutionary design are hyper-focused on "make sure nothing ever touches my belly." Yet thanks to the effort and care of Mariah and yourself, she had enough trust to overcome that. The effort you go to for those in your care is astounding, and I'm so glad that people like and your team are around!

[@jslferrell]

Yes, ‘dillos are super “no touchy the belly”. To get her to unroll is a lot of trust currency.

[@GandalfTheTsaagan]

When you think about it, it really is a feat when an animal whose defense mechanism consists of showing you its back lets a stranger do funny things to its belly.

[@randy-9842]

Bravo Mariah and Dr. Card! Incredible job training Gaia for a new and unusual procedure. This demonstrates some of the special requirements of housing "wild" animals and, thank you Jesse, for explaining WHY you're doing this. Be well and y'all have a very Merry Christmas. ps: Gaia is beautiful !

[@jslferrell]

It’s remarkable the strides the wildlife community has made in cooperative and consensual care. The less we can sedate/anæsthetise, the better.

[@dancepiglover]

Yes, things can go wrong sometimes when an animal is put under. I assisted one time with a dog getting an x-ray. I noticed that the dog wasn’t breathing (chest not moving) and told the vet. She must have an a bad reaction to what she was given. Since it was caught in time, thankfully everything ended up ok.

[@flowersstorms8863]

That was so interesting to watch! Mariah, Jessi, Dr Card and Gaia all worked so hard to make this a successful procedure, and Gaia was an absolute trooper. To see the care, love and respect that AW gives to all the animals they care for is always so heartwarming. Thank you as always for sharing your adventures with us! I'm proud to be a Patreon of this incredible work you do x

[@HartmannThorsten]

I'm thrilled to finally connect with you all here on KZbin! I'm Thor, and I'm excited to dive into this incredible community of creators and viewers. Can't wait to share, learn, and grow together.

[@cb-wi1cq]

referring to her poop as "the only gift she can give us" was so cute omfg awww

[@CaptainStitchyPants]

This was such a wonderful look at how much work goes into preparing an animal for a "simple" procedure! I find the process of positive reward-based training fascinating, so thank you!

[@HartmannThorsten]

I'm thrilled to finally connect with you all here on KZbin! I'm Thor, and I'm excited to dive into this incredible community of creators and viewers. Can't wait to share, learn, and grow together.

[@elskabee]

Yay for Gaia! Mariah clearly did an excellent job training her

[@Shabidoo1]

I love how much effort you put into keeping her relaxed.

[@sasamosamo]

OH! When I saw the video title, I was very worried that Gaia was sick... BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY THE BEST VIDEO BECAUSE GAIA DID A VERY GOOD JOB!!!

[@SaiyanHeretic]

Wow, Gaia wakes up just like I do: curled up, slowly, and hungry for worms!

[@Lerrae1908]

I always hope that seeing a wide variety of animals become responsive to human interaction and be trainable like this helps people understand how much other creatures think, feel, and desire to exist in very similar ways as we do. Just because it's not a dog doesn't mean it has no right to be here - just because our social cues are different doesn't mean we can't come to understand each other. I just want everyone to stop before doing heartless things and realize that the creature in front of them has as much right to be here, and happy, as any of us do (thinking along the veins here of people who kill snakes wantonly and the like just because they are afraid).

[@freitags]

Thank you for trying to make this as gentle as possible for the animal!

[@val_923]

dr. card and everyone involved continues to be absolutely amazing. stay safe and warm this winter!

[@flowerheit4512]

gaia is so cute! i know you all must be crazy busy with how animal wonders has grown, but i really love seeing the animals

[@HartmannThorsten]

I'm thrilled to finally connect with you all here on KZbin! I'm Thor, and I'm excited to dive into this incredible community of creators and viewers. Can't wait to share, learn, and grow together.

[@BirdNerdSophie]

Awesome to see training for voluntary participation in husbandry and veterinary tasks! 💙

[@charliespinoza1966]

All the explanation text was really cool. Great job team, it’s lovely to see an animal so well cared for❤

[@HartmannThorsten]

I'm thrilled to finally connect with you all here on KZbin! I'm Thor, and I'm excited to dive into this incredible community of creators and viewers. Can't wait to share, learn, and grow together.

[@cb-wi1cq]

Omg I was so invested in her getting her ultrasound! She did such a good job tolerating the procedure

[@KarlBunker]

An armadillo getting an ultrasound -- that sounds like it ought to be the punchline to a joke. 😄

[@HartmannThorsten]

I'm thrilled to finally connect with you all here on KZbin! I'm Thor, and I'm excited to dive into this incredible community of creators and viewers. Can't wait to share, learn, and grow together.

[@medea27]

Well done to all involved (including Gaia!)! 👍 All that time & effort to prep Gaia was clearly worth it... there's something special about seeing the level of trust you can build with an animal where they'll overcome their instinctive behaviours, and I was all smiles seeing Gaia jump right back up @ 5:33 for a second scan! A suggestion... I noticed she was slipping a bit as she tried to stay upright against the pressure of the scanner, with the towel just sliding on the smooth benchtop. A quick & easy solution might be to use one of those cheap anti-slip mats underneath the towel (they come in a roll, like a super-light foam mesh that you can cut to size)... I swear by them for all sorts of tasks. The benefit is that you can use the same towel she's used to (with all the smells & textures that she's comfy with), and it's easy to toss in the bag with everything else... if she pees or makes a mess, you can either rinse it down or bin it & cut off another piece. It just stops the towel sliding around on smooth surfaces like a steel bench or polished floor so she can be a bit more confident in planting her back feet. 👍 (They also come in handy if you need to stop things sliding around.during transport or need something soft to put under or between hard surfaces.)

[@ThereAre4Lights]

Omg I hadn't checked in on AWM in a little bit and hooray!!! There are a bunch of new videos to watch!! ❤❤❤

[@ntcssj]

Aww, this was great. Gaia is so cute.

[@blueskybehavior]

Gaia is such an incredible animal with so much to teach us about trust, learning, adaptability and resilience. I know I have learned more than I thought possible from her. Thanks Jessi and Animal Wonders for trusting me with her training plan! I can't wait to start working on a voluntary pick-up behavior next!

[@HartmannThorsten]

I'm thrilled to finally connect with you all here on KZbin! I'm Thor, and I'm excited to dive into this incredible community of creators and viewers. Can't wait to share, learn, and grow together.

[@dancepiglover]

Training is important for any animal that is in the care of people. It teaches them how to live in harmony alongside people. Both parties will be happier and calmer when an animal understands what is expected of them and the person respects the animal. This is true for pets as well as for wild animals in zoos and sanctuaries. Training is also helpful as a way to keep an animal’s brain active and defeat boredom.

[@Lala-tz6oy]

I love Gaia!!!!

[@HartmannThorsten]

I'm thrilled to finally connect with you all here on KZbin! I'm Thor, and I'm excited to dive into this incredible community of creators and viewers. Can't wait to share, learn, and grow together.

[@joymcguire]

great to see you again!

[@pencilpauli9442]

OMG So wonderful to watch Gaia is beautiful ❤❤

[@lailedcat]

Good to see you AW! Armadillos are the cutest

[@HartmannThorsten]

I'm thrilled to finally connect with you all here on KZbin! I'm Thor, and I'm excited to dive into this incredible community of creators and viewers. Can't wait to share, learn, and grow together.

[@I_am_Lauren]

So lovely to see a video from you guys! Happy holidays everyone!❤

[@HartmannThorsten]

I'm thrilled to finally connect with you all here on KZbin! I'm Thor, and I'm excited to dive into this incredible community of creators and viewers. Can't wait to share, learn, and grow together.

[@BriONeil]

💗💗💗😍😍😍🌌🌌🌌 Out of bed, sleepy head!!

[@CRYSTAL1260]

Gaia is so cute!!!!❤

[@HartmannThorsten]

I'm thrilled to finally connect with you all here on KZbin! I'm Thor, and I'm excited to dive into this incredible community of creators and viewers. Can't wait to share, learn, and grow together.

[@CreativeMsKitty]

That was really cool.

[@HartmannThorsten]

I'm thrilled to finally connect with you all here on KZbin! I'm Thor, and I'm excited to dive into this incredible community of creators and viewers. Can't wait to share, learn, and grow together.

[@jerseycat7380]

Happy Holidays, Animal Wonders Montana!

[@HartmannThorsten]

I'm thrilled to finally connect with you all here on KZbin! I'm Thor, and I'm excited to dive into this incredible community of creators and viewers. Can't wait to share, learn, and grow together.

[@frankheilingbrunner7852]

This is interesting. Obviously, if the mass of the fetus is added to that of the mother, you would have got your answer just by weighing her. It follows that a pregnant armadillo sacrifices a mass of her own tissue about equal to the mass of the fetus. My guess is that they do this to ensure that they can fully roll up even when pregnant. Am I right?

[@ElenaCraft-qe3nl]

Are u on the app EPIC??

[@vintagedazzle]

Do these armadillos have 4 babies at a time, identical quadruplets, like nine-banded armadillos do?

[@animalwondersmontana]

Great question! Unlike 9 banded armadillos who have quadruplets, 3 banded armadillos have just 1 baby a time.

[@xamishia]

♥♥

[@alluraambrose2978]

My doctor just treats me as a sack of meat xD meanwhile these amazing people take such good care of these beautiful creatures.

[@HartmannThorsten]

I'm thrilled to finally connect with you all here on KZbin! I'm Thor, and I'm excited to dive into this incredible community of creators and viewers. Can't wait to share, learn, and grow together.

[@gmsherry1953]

For a while, my only information about what's going on there has been via Instagram, so maybe I'm out of touch. But I didn't think you wanted your animals to breed. You only have so much capacity. You take animals that are desperate for a safe place to stay. Every animal you have is a rescue. Most of them are damaged in some way or have unfortunate histories. They are a burden, a demand on your limited resources. Unlike a zoo, which is involved in breeding a captive population to avoid having to capture from the wild and as a reserve for endangered species, I didn't think you wanted to make more animals internally, so you can accept more from outside. What am I missing?

[@animalwondersmontana]

Thanks for asking! We chose to take Quincho, the male 3 banded armadillo, when he was in need of a home and we had a space to offer him. Housing him with Gaia, with the potential that they could breed, was not a decision we took lightly. We chose to go ahead and take Quincho in since he needed a home, and the likelihood that Gaia would get pregnant was lower due to her older age. But, just because the chances are low, it doesn't mean there's no chance at all. So, ever since Quincho joined us, we've been working toward this goal of a voluntary ultrasound for Gaia to make sure we're giving her everything she needs. It's been really wonderful seeing the two of them enrich each other's lives. Gaia will often follow Quincho around while he explores new spaces, and they both choose to create a nest out of blankets to curl up into together, even though they have separate but identical den boxes. There's always going to be a balance between ideal and reality when you work in animal care. The decision to take in Quincho resulted in an increased quality of life for both Gaia and Quincho, and for that, we're so thankful.

[@HartmannThorsten]

I'm thrilled to finally connect with you all here on KZbin! I'm Thor, and I'm excited to dive into this incredible community of creators and viewers. Can't wait to share, learn, and grow together.