Thanks to this year’s dynamic collection growth, visitors to the Debrecen Zoo can not only meet the stars of the baby boom and many species that have never been held in the institution before, but can also witness the entanglement of new animal loves – writes in his statement dr. Gergely Sándor Nagy managing director.
After the renewal of the meerkats and ring-tailed lemurs, now Raisins, the always diligent big hair armadillo of the Tropical House, has been given a companion in the person of a young female who arrived on May 25 from the Brno Zoo in the Czech Republic.
Native to the southern pampas, semi-deserts and forests of South America, the large haired armadillo, also known as the bristle armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus), is a truly special and ancient old-fashioned order, among the other arthropods, as well as New World sloths and anteaters. His most striking feature is that, like other armadillo, much of his back is protected by a bony armor, which in his case is made up of 7-8 belts and has long hairs protruding from it. An omnivore, he searches the ground for his food, aided by his excellent sense of smell and strong claws that specialize in digging. He spends a significant portion of his time underground, where, thanks to his special respiratory system, he is able to breathe air without absorbing soil particles.
Although they are widely hunted for their flesh and armor in their natural habitat, due to their toughness and excellent adaptability, the stock of their large hair statuses is still populous and stable.
We have been meeting the species in the Debrecen Zoo since 2015, when Mazsola moved from the Miskolc Zoo; and now that he has a partner, it is hoped that we will not have to wait long for the first armadillo puppies from Debrecen.
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