The Nate-ure Report: Take a look at the smallest mammal – the mouse deer

EL PASO, Texas -- You might think ABC-7's Nate Ryan is just some regular sports jock from his usual job. But in the latest edition of "The Nate-ure Report," he shows us a softer side, cuddling up some with the mini-mammals at the El Paso Zoo.

One of the small mammals Nate encounters is the Chevrotain, also known as the "chevy" or "mouse-deer."

The chevrotain is the smallest hoofed mammal in the world, and can be found in the forests of southeast Asia.

In the wild, chevrotains max out at around 12 pounds, and are seen darting across the forest floor evading predators.

Next, Nate gets up close and personal with the El Paso Zoo's female pgymy slow loris, the only venomous primate in the world.

Also found in southeast Asia, the pygmy slow loris is nocturnal and spends most of it's time in the trees.

With their bulging eyes and furry complexion, many people try to take in loris's as pets but they don't know all the facts.

"She produces a secretion that when combined with her saliva is venomous," says zookeeper Andrea Franco of the female loris.

"So usually the way to know when these guys are stressed is they’ll lift their arms, lick their elbows and that causes them to become venomous when they bite you.”

The loris at the El Paso Zoo has fathered seven babies during her time there, but that is uncommon in the wild as they are normally solitary creatures.

Catch "The Nate-ure Report" weekdays on ABC-7 at 6.