Three-banded armadillo rolls into the Louisville Zoo
 

The Louisville Zoo has a new resident who guests are already gushing over.

“He’s so cute!” a group of children cried out as they spotted Primo, a 1-year-old male armadillo who recently arrived from Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.

Primo, who lives in the MetaZoo Education Center, is the Louisville Zoo’s first three-banded armadillo.

There are 20 different species of armadillos, all ranging greatly in size. But three-banded armadillos, named for the number of movable bands in their armor, are special. It is the only armadillo species that can roll itself into a nearly perfect, tight sphere when frightened. Its ears tuck in, and its tail and head fit together so it can keep its body protected. They are so secure in this position that even foxes or wolves cannot get a grip on the tough armor to crack them open.

“Primo is a great addition to the other animals that the Louisville Zoo uses in our education classes,” MetaZoo Keeper Drew Koch said. “Children will definitely love him. He moves very quickly and reminds me of a remote controlled car when he makes sharp turns and changes direction very fast!”

Three-banded armadillos are mammals found in the grasslands or marshes near dry forests or savannah areas of South America. They are omnivores, eating mainly insects, worms and fruit.

They are usually solitary but occasionally group together during cold weather. They do not dig burrows of their own but use abandoned anteater burrows or make dens under dense vegetation.

Armadillo head plates are unique to each armadillo, like human fingerprints. There are only about 120 three-banded armadillos in Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) organizations in North America and are considered near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

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The Louisville Zoo, a non-profit organization and state zoo of Kentucky, is dedicated to bettering the bond between people and our planet by providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for visitors, and leadership in scientific research and conservation education. The Zoo is accredited by the American Association of Museums (AAM) and by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA). For more information, visit www.louisvillezoo.org.

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((EDITOR’S NOTE: More photos are available upon request.))