A tiny new arrival at an Ohio zoo was “the size of a golf ball” at birth.
Throughout the armadillo pup’s first three weeks of life, the zoo has kept track of the creature’s growth — which has been about 90 to 100 grams per week.
Now, the Southern three-banded armadillo is approximately the size of a baseball, the Toledo Zoo said in a Dec. 30 Facebook post.
A fully grown armadillo will weigh approximately 3 pounds, according to the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago.
Video from the Toledo Zoo shows the newborn curling up into a ball to be weighed on a small scale.
The three-banded armadillo is the only species of armadillo that can fully roll up into a ball , according to Zoo Atlanta.
Three-banded armadillos have three “distinct” hinges in their abdomen that help them curl into a ball, the Lincoln Park Zoo said.
Their shell creates an “armored ball” to protect them, according to the Lincoln Park Zoo.
The armadillo born in Ohio was part of the Species Survival Plan, which pairs two armadillos for breeding, the zoo said. The mom, Honeybee, and dad, Kris, were selected for their genetic compatibility, the zoo said.