| Previous episode |
|---|
| "Moose Nibbles" |
"Shapes of the Armadillo" is the 17th episode of Season 7 of the PBS Kids show Wild Kratts. It is the 175th episode of the series overall. It premiered on October 6, 2025.
Synopsis[]
The Wild Kratts are looking at shapes in nature when they discover a sphere shaped "rock" that turns out to be a 3-banded armadillo! While they explore the many shapes of an armadillo body from circles to triangles Zach unexpectedly arrives and challenges them to a bowling match. Can the shapes of the armadillo help the Wild Kratts defeat Zach?
Plot[]
The episode begins with a live-action segment. The Kratt brothers are walking in the woods and examine the many shapes in nature, including heart-shaped leaves, circular nest holes, and the circles, rectangles, and triangles of the three-banded armadillo. Afterwards, they ask their "What if?" question and the show transitions into the cartoon segment.
Characters[]
Animals[]
Animation[]
Note: Featured animals are in bold.
- Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo: Shapes, Mommadillo, Leather Jacket, Tippy Toes
- Ocelot
- Aardvark (computer image)
- Sloth Bear (computer image)
- Beetle
- Ant
Live Action[]
Note: Live action animals are linked to Wikipedia.
- Black rhino (called Rhinoceros)
- Diamondback terrapin
- Gopher tortoise
- Eastern box turtle (called Box turtle)
Trivia[]
- The plot to this episode was previously disclosed in an interview with Martin Kratt.[1]
- In the beginning of the animated segment, Jimmy can be seen playing a video game featuring a sifaka lemur, which is a reference to the show, "Zoboomafoo". The visual is accompanied by an 8-bit-styled rendition of the Zoboomafoo theme. The game itself is similar to the Game Boy Color game, Zoboomafoo: Playtime in Zobooland.
- Koki makes a reference to the Season 1 episode, "Cheetah Racer", and the Season 5 episode, "Choose Your Swordfish", when Aviva asks why Zach is mad at her. He has previously been bested by her in both a race and fencing.
- This episode is the third time Zach challenges the crew to a competition and cheats. The first two being in "Bass Class" and "Cheetah Racer". In this case, Zach challenges Aviva to a bowling competition, and he cheats by using his Zachbots as bowling pins.
- Zach's favorite shape is a triangle. This is evident based on some of his inventions such as the Zachbots.
- Apparently, the Wild Kratts crew have never noticed that Zach's head is shaped like a triangle until he points it out in this episode.
- The Wild Kratts state that the three-banded armadillo is endangered. The ICUN Red List gives its status as "vulnerable."
- Aviva states that she's a tri-village bowling champion 3 years in a row.
- In real bowling rules, you only get credit for the pins that you knock down with the ball. Once the ball stops, you can’t touch or move the pins. Using outside help (like a controller, stick, or even your hand) instantly breaks the rules. (In real bowling, Zach would be disqualified right away.)
- This episode marks the return of Zach's v-shaped jet since the Season 5 episode, "City Hoppers!"
Key Facts and Creature Moments[]
- Baby armadillos are called pups.
- In extremely rare cases, a female three-banded armadillo can give birth to two pups.
- An armadillo pup's skin is soft and has a leathery texture before hardening as the pup matures.
- A three-banded armadillo can roll up into a ball as a defense mechanism against predators.
- Armadillos use their front claws for digging up food. Since the claws are long, curved and tough, armadillos walk on the tips of their claws, similar to hooved animals.
References[]
- ↑ "Wild Kratts S7: The Bros Talk About 2 NEW EPISODES (Plot, Power Disc, and Species REVEALED)." YouTube. Retrieved August 2nd, 2025.