Tuva

The One-Direction Porcupine

We have five tuva with us today. This is Naill, Liam, Harry, Louis, and Zayn.

— Antarand Veteranarian working with the Take a Tuva campaign

The tuva is a burrowing rodent related to the porcupine. Adults are about six inches long, with fur of varying shades of brown, and defensive spines along their back. They are primarily insectavores, though they also eat some plant matter. They are prey to several bird species as well as the Topia.

Though the tuva is native to the Sun Islands, the First Islanders have started the Take a Tuva campaign to encourage people to keep them as pets, in place of the Lie-Detector Turtle, as they are easier to breed and care for. Members of the campaign travel throughout the Western Islands to give presentations about the care and keeping of tuva.

Domestic tuva are usually kept in relatively large cages or terrariums with wood shavings, shredded paper, or other material in which they can burrow. Because they are both energetic these habitats usually include exercise wheels or tunnel systems for running, and because they are social, owners usually have several living together. The Take a Tuva campaign provides new owners with information about where to by live crickets or food pellets designed for the tuva diet. They also have information about dietary needs for those who fish to collect their own food for their pets.

Geographic Distribution

• Sun Islands

Early on in the campaign, when the tuva was compared to a porcupine, people were told that it was different because you could pet the tuva in one direction, while the porcupine could not be pet at all. Though this information about the porcupine has been since proven wrong, experts still recommend the tuva as pets over the porcupine, which has not been domesticated, and likely startles more easily than the tuva. Nevertheless, it is still important to teach children how to pet their tuva safely and what to do when it is startled and raises its spines.