RANGE | This species of armadillos have a range that extends from Brazil and southern Suriname in the northeast, through Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay into northern Argentina in the southeast. The six-banded armadillos are found in rainforests, savannas, cerrados and shrublands.

FUN FACTS | Similar to their cousins, the giant anteater and aardvark, armadillos spend their entire life on the forest floor or below it. This is very different from their arboreal cousins, the sloth and smaller anteaters. Like all armadillos, their carapace (backside) is covered by a plate of armour made of keratin—the same protein that makes up hair, nails, and horn. They are efficient diggers and create burrows, where they live and find prey or escape from predators. Only the three-banded armadillos can roll into a tight ball, so these six-banded armadillos will quickly burrow into the detritus on the ground and try to camouflage with the leaf litter. If the predator approaches, the armadillos will run under a big, thorny bush that will certainly deter a predator but cause no harm to the protective armor on the armadillo. These animals primarily use their sense of hearing and smell to locate their food since their eyesight is quite poor. These omnivores eat fruits and other plant materials that fall from trees but they also dig in the ground as they search for insects, worms and rodents.

Bug was born at a zoo that had multiple litters that year, so he has never lived in the wild. He loves to go on walks so he can sniff and dig at mouse holes or move through crunchy leaves and wet grass. He has even more fun when carrying around a stuffed animal! When he is tired from playing, he flops onto his back and sleeps soundly. We often see him running in his sleep, all cozy on his blankets.

SPECIAL CARE NEEDS | Several years ago, Bug became very ill and increasingly weak. He started to drag his legs as he walked. We were so fortunate that we found a specialist to guide us during Bug’s long recovery. Bug is now dramatically improved and, while he will likely be on medication for his entire life, you would never guess that we nearly lost him as you watch him run through the grass.

This adorable armadillo sleeps cuddled up in his fleece blankets, curled up on thick bath mats and in soft cat beds. Bug loves stuffed animals, carrying them around as he runs on the lawn or in his enclosure. He can be quite destructive so they have to be pretty heavy-duty toys. Bug truly loves to explore, running on the field and digging in rodent holes and dirt piles, which are very natural behaviors. In his enclosure, we also offer low plastic bins or children’s sand boxes with various substrates to dig, burrow and play.