Posted December 10, 2020 in New Arrivals
Gomez the Armadillo welcomes a new friend named Allie!
We are pleased to share that on 23rd November, we welcomed Allie to Colchester Zoo, a female Large hairy armadillo! Allie arrives to join our resident male Gomez.
Allie is Gomez’s senior at 14 years of age vs his 1 year, but age doesn’t seem to be a problem for this pair who are already getting along extremely well having been introduced not long after Allie arrived.
See Allie exploring the Sensation Station with her new friend Gomez whilst enjoying her favourite food, mealworms and walnuts!
Armadillos such as our pair have thick bony plates, which cover their head and body. They also have hair that projects from the scales of their armour as well as a hairy underside. They have strong forelegs and large, sharp front claws which are perfect for digging! Primarily the Large hairy armadillo is nocturnal and during the day they shelter in the burrows which they dig.
This species is the largest of the armadillos which are native to Argentina and Paraguay in South America and currently listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List.
Our Armadillo pair are not visible to the public at the moment, but you can meet them as part of our Keeper Shadowing Experience. More information about this experience can be found here.
