This is Tia. She is an adult chinchilla, a member of the rodent family. People will sometimes keep chinchillas in their homes as a pet. Tia lives at the Science Center because she was a pet donated by someone who couldn't care for her anymore. Chinchillas originally come from South America, way up in the Andes Mountains.
Chinchillas are one of the softest animals in the world.
People once hunted them for their soft fur and they became endangered. But now there are ranches that raise chinchillas for their fur. You might not be able to tell from the picture, but Tia has very long whiskers to help her sense her surroundings. She also can run very fast and jump high because of her strong legs. Waving her bushy tail around helps Tia to balance while she jumps.