Robert Irwin introduces nervous Jimmy Fallon to ‘hugging’ sloth

Robert Irwin, the son of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin, has followed in his father’s footsteps with a special appearance on The Tonight Show.

In a segment that aired last night, Robert, 13, introduced host Jimmy Fallon to a menagerie of wild animals.

A visibly nervous Fallon was invited to pat an African dwarf crocodile, tickle a screaming armadillo, hold a python and hug a particularly clingy sloth.

The teenager’s appearance comes 14 years after his famous father appeared on The Tonight Show opposite then-host Jay Leno.

Robert’s passionate and effusive performance inevitably drew comparisons to the late Irwin.

“It’s so cool to see you like this,” Fallon said.

“You’re actually your dad.”

Robert replied by pointing out that his love of animals was in his blood, calling himself “the luckiest kid on planet Earth”.

Sister and Dancing With the Stars participant Bindi Irwin has since taken to Twitter to express her admiration for her younger sibling.

“Tears in my eyes. So proud of Robert tonight. Robert, you are more and more like dad every day. I'm forever thankful to be your sister,” she wrote.

Robert’s appearance on The Tonight Show was organised to help promote the Steve Irwin Gala Dinner, hosted in LA on May 13^th.

The gala aims to fundraise money for Steve Irwin’s animal conservationist organisation Wildlife Warriors.