Say 'Hola' to Maya, the St. Paul School pet

The school pet in the Spanish room at Saint Paul School is named Maya. 

She is a chinchilla which are native to the mountains of South America. She has a tail that resembles a squirrel tail, ears that look like mouse ears, and a body that resembles a rabbit. 

Spanish teacher Anne Wright holds Maya

Chinchillas have the softest fur in the world which is why they are sought after for the fur industry. Chinchillas have a life-span of 10-12 years when they are kept as pets. 

One fun fact about chinchillas is that when they live in the wild they do not drink water. The food they eat contains enough water to keep  them hydrated.

"Maya has been here at St. Paul School for the past five years and the students adore her," said Spanish teacher Anne Wright. "They love to come into the room and go back to say Hola (hello) to her before getting into their seats, and I can tell by her interaction that she loves the attention. She is always sad when I have to take her home to my house for vacation periods like summer as she does not get as much attention then!"

One other fun fact is that Maya takes a dust bath at least once a week to clean the oils from her fur. The students really like to watch that as she vigoursly rolls around in a special dust and she has a special box just for that. 

"The students always laugh when I ask them to imagine themselves rolling around in dust when their mother tells them it is bath time!" Mrs. Wright said.
[Photo by Christine Ehasz]