Meet Dillon and Doris

Sometimes I like to post something a little different, and I think this post fits that description perfectly.

Meet Dillon and Doris, two elderly armadillos who recently celebrated a big birthday. They turned 19, and while that may not seem very old to humans, armadillos typically only live to 15-18 in the wild.

The pair (pictured below) live in Telford Exotic Zoo in Shropshire, UK and keepers there celebrated with a big bash earlier this month! They said the animals were firm favourites with visitors, with this big birthday marking "an important milestone".

Dillon and Doris are six-banded armadillos, which are mammals that mainly live in South America. They are known for their armour-like shells and cute little snouts which can smell food up to a foot (30cm) away underground.

Despite their name, they can have between six and eight bands across their backs —something visible on the pair in Telford. Doris has six bands, but Dillon has eight, so they're quite easy to tell apart.

don't you think they have cute faces?

Here are some armadillo facts:

There are 21 types of armadillo - the smallest being the pink fairy armadillo which is about 6 inches (15 cm) long

Armadillo is a Spanish word and means 'little armoured one'

They are the only kinds of mammals with the type of shell they have.

They're close relatives of sloths and anteaters

They sleep up to 16 hours a day

Words and image from article seen here

--------------------------------

... and I'm still keeping an eye on news for nine-month old Samba a Capybara who escaped from a small gap in a temporary enclosure at Marwell Zoo, Hampshire, UK. Many people are keeping a look out for Samba, you can read more here

All the best Jan