Pittsburgh Zoo's New Stingray Pups Get Checkup

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Bigtooth river stingrays are found only in fresh water, in only one river system in Brazil. A female at Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium has just given birth to a pair of pups.

"One was born two and a half weeks ago," says Ginger Sturgeon, director of animal care. "That's our male. And then our female was just born on Sunday. So, today, they're going to get their neonatal exam."

With help from aquarium keeper Rich Terrell, Dr. Sturgeon injects each stingray with a microchip, to help zookeepers identify them.

"I may be partial, but I think they're pretty darn cute," Dr. Sturgeon says.

Don't let that fool you.

"They're cute, but the barb that they come out armed with is venomous, and it can burn like a son of a gun if you get stuck," Terrell adds.

Dr. Sturgeon says freshwater rays are more dangerous than their salt water cousins.

"These freshwater rays, once they get old enough, will have little tiny barbs that travel their entire tail length, and up onto their back. And all of those small barbs also contain venom," she says.

Don't expect to see the little guys any time soon. They'll be kept in a separate tank for a couple of weeks, until they're big enough to go back in with their mom and dad.