Armadillo lion

The Armadillo Lion is a large animal that has the body and head of a lion. It was first seen in "Tales of Ba Sing Se" in Ba Sing Se Zoo.

Anatomy
The fur on the lower part of an Armadillo Lion's face is white, along with its feet. The Armadillo Lion's main trunk and the upper parts of its legs are covered by shaggy brown hair. Its back is topped by an armadillo-like segmented carapace, which extends to cover the top of its head. It has an armadillo-like hairless tail. Its body structure allows the Armadillo Lion to curl up into an armored ball when startled, much like the three-banded armadillo.

Connection
The Armadillo Lion can be easily connected to the real world as part armadillo and part lion.

Trivia

 * In "Sozin's Comet, Part 1: The Phoenix King", Zuko references a Tigerdillo ("Now, let me hear you roar like a Tigerdillo!"), which is either a variation of the Armadillo Lion, another name for one or an entirely new species altogether.