Eddy is a 5-year-old ambassador animal who lives at the Lake Superior Zoo.

Since he is a three-banded, Eddy is a little smaller than the other armadillos found in the United States.

His species lives in South America.

Lake Superior Education Program Manager Augusta Grumdahl told The Lift, ‘He is kind of a confusing looking animal. He kinds looks like a reptile with all those scales on him, but he is definitely a mammal.”

Eddy has whiskers like a cat or dog, but his are on the sides of his body. These help him find his way at night.

His shell is another notable feature. Three banded armadillos can curl up into a little ball to protect itself from predators. The shell is made of the same material as your fingernails.

“So this species is actually hunted in South America for their meat. And they actually use their shells to make instruments as well sometimes. So their threats are deforestation as well as over hunting, but there are easy things we can do to help protect these guys.”

August added, “One of my passions, is just seeing people’s faces light up when you get to meet an animal for the first time or see them do something you didn’t expect them to do because animals are always really fun and exciting ways to connect with people and eventually move towards people having that conservation action.”