New species at Hellabrunn Zoo: Three-banded armadillo

There‘s something new in the World of the Small Monkeys at Hellabrunn Zoo: The cotton-top tamarin enclosure has been extensively revamped and enlarged in recent months to accommodate new residents. The newly reopened habitat not only offers visitors an opportunity to see one of the smallest primates again, but also to discover a brand new species: a pair of three-banded armadillos.

Armadillos love hiding in plain sight, so it may take some time to spot Hellabrunn's two newest residents. Their brown shells help them blend in with the wood chips and tree trunks in their new home. But those who are lucky enough to discover them will certainly not be disappointed. Male Gustav Gürtel and female Gerlinde belong to a unique family: armadillos are the only mammals with a bony outer shell. The shell is made up of bony plates covered by an outer layer of keratin - the same substance found in our hair and nails.

The three-banded armadillo is the only armadillo species that can roll up into a ball when threatened. Their natural armour is so tough that predators literally break their teeth on it. Only the jaguar is capable of cracking the shell. There are around 20 extant species of armadillo, all of which are native to the Americas.

The main threats to armadillos are hunting and habitat loss. The three-banded armadillo is listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The closest relatives of armadillos are anteaters and sloths. Their average lifespan is 12 to 15 years; in human care they can even live up to 30 years.

The shared enclosure for the armadillos and cotton-top tamarins is located in the heart of ​​the World of Small Monkeys. The habitat was recently expanded to accommodate both species with an outdoor area, designed with many new plants, a new floor substrate and numerous new climbing and hiding places. The outdoor area can best be seen from the visitor path next to the bull elephant paddock.