The Oregon Zoo’s new armadillo pup hasn’t even developed its signature hard shell yet, but he’s already hit a milestone — he is the first armadillo to be born at the zoo.

Max, the zoo’s three-banded armadillo, gave birth to the pup last week. According to a news release from the zoo, both Max and her baby are doing well. The pup now weighs about 5 ounces, and at full size, will only grow to about 3 pounds. Zoo staff said the pup is already starting to explore his environment, and that they are letting the mom and baby bond naturally. They are now in a private den and not visible to the public yet. Visitors can still see the pup’s father, Toby, in the exhibit.

The three-banded armadillo is the only armadillo that can roll itself into a ball for protection. It is native to South America, including the dry grasslands of eastern Bolivia and southwestern Brazil. It is listed as a “near-threatened” species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

—Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR

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