ANIMAL HANDLING
Species: Screaming Hairy Armadillo
Individuals (Location): Rose (Edu), Bonnie (Edu), Cooper (Edu), Alice (CZ-Green Barn), Axel (CZGreen Barn)
Tier-Level: One-Novice
Equipment: Dual loading carrier labeled “armadillo”, travel water bottle, newspaper, cardboard shavings, carrier cover,
hand sanitizer, if outdoors use a play-yard with astroturf or green plastic tub with cardboard chips.
Reminder for Screaming Hairy Armadillos:
Armadillos go into a torpor state, to get them to wake up pet them, if that doesn’t work, pick the animal up and hold them
to warm them up. If the animal doesn’t respond in 5 minutes, contact a keeper.
Crating:
 ALWAYS wash or sanitize hands before and after handling each animal to remove smells.
 Line carrier with newspaper and add a few handfuls of cardboard chip bedding to carrier. Scent is important to them,
this helps keep them from defecating/urinating to the point of dehydration.
 Fill and affix travel water bottle to front of crate.
 Have carrier open and ready to receive animal.
 Pull large tub that houses armadillo a few inches off of shelf to allow you to reach in. Remove
plastic hut if necessary.
 If armadillo is buried in cardboard shavings gently unbury them.
 Pick up armadillo using “hamburger hold.”
 Place in carrier belly down.
 Return hut and push tub back onto shelf.
 Sign animal out on paperwork and label carrier with animal’s name.
 Carry carrier with both hands or on a cart. Do not tilt or swing in transport.
 Never expose a carrier (with animal inside or not) to prolonged sunlight, heat, or cold.
Handling:
 ALWAYS wash or sanitize hands before and after handling each animal.
 Screaming hairy armadillos can be handled in four ways:
1) In an indoor, controlled setting, visitors may sit on the floor with their knees touching,
forming a large circle. Pick animal up using the same handling procedures described for
carting and place on the ground in the middle of the circle. Visitors may touch armadillo
on the back while on the ground.
2) Outdoors, setup a play-yard and astroturf. Follow the same steps as above. Visitors may
reach into play-yard to touch to touch on the back.
3) Outdoors, setup a green plastic tub lined with cardboard chips. Follow same steps as
above. Visitors may reach into tub to touch on the back.
4) Screaming hairy armadillos (excluding Axel) can be held. To pick up armadillo use the
same handling procedures described for crating. Hold armadillo in both of your open
hands close to your body. Allow armadillo to treadmill in your hands if it prefers. Do not
restrain animal. To allow visitors to touch turn armadillo around in your hands so that its
head is facing you. Visitors can touch on the back.
 Return animal to carrier.
 Pass around hand sanitizer.
Return Animal:
 Be sure to return to the correct enclosure.
 Sign animal back in and make comments on paperwork.
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ANIMAL HANDLING
Cleanup
 Discard newspaper and cardboard chips, spray inside of carrier with Kennel-Sol, scrub with brush, and rinse
(remember to wear protective eyewear whenever using chemicals).
 Return carrier and any other equipment to the appropriate location.
 Wash hands.
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