- Related Topics:
- pichiciago
- giant armadillo
- Dasypus
- peludo
- mulita
armadillo
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What is an armadillo?
The armadillo is an armored mammal belonging to the family Dasypodidae, native to Central and South America. Twenty species exist, most preferring grasslands, though some inhabit forests.
Armadillos are stout, brownish animals with strong claws and simple teeth. They range in size from the 6-inch pink fairy armadillo to the 5-foot giant armadillo. They are typically solitary, or live in pairs or small groups, and use their sense of smell to find food, such as insects and vegetation.
When threatened, armadillos retreat to burrows or draw their feet in so their armor touches the ground. Some species, like the three-banded armadillos, can roll into a ball for protection.
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Where do armadillos live?
Armadillos mainly live in tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America, with the nine-banded armadillo being the only species found in the United States. Most armadillo species prefer open areas like grasslands, but some also inhabit forests. The nine-banded armadillo, for example, is commonly found in Texas but has been spotted as far north as Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois. The pichi can be found in Argentine Patagonia, and the larger hairy armadillo ranges far into southern Chile.
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What do armadillos eat?
Armadillos use their keen sense of smell to find food, emerging from their burrows primarily at night to feed. Their diet consists of termites and other insects, vegetation, small animals, and insect larvae found on carrion. While some xenarthrans, like anteaters, are strictly insectivorous and others, such as sloths, are strictly folivorous, armadillos are not as specialized and eat a variety of plant matter and small animals.
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How does an armadillo's shell protect it?
The armadillo's carapace, or shell, is a remarkable protective adaptation. This armor covers much of the armadillo's body, including its head, legs, and tail in most species.
The carapace consists of bony transverse bands covered in tough scales derived from skin tissue. When threatened, some armadillo species retreat to their burrows, while others, if caught in the open, draw their feet in so that their armor touches the ground, protecting their vulnerable underparts. Three-banded armadillos can even roll into a solid ball for maximum protection. Some species further enhance their defense by flexing their back plates inside a burrow, wedging themselves so firmly that they become difficult to dislodge.
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How do armadillos find food and avoid danger?
Armadillos use their keen sense of smell to locate food, primarily emerging from their burrows at night to feed on termites, insects, vegetation, and small animals.
When threatened, armadillos retreat to their burrows or draw their feet in so that their armor touches the ground. Some species, like the three-banded armadillos, can roll into a solid ball, while others, like the pink fairy armadillo, use their truncated carapace to plug the entrance of their burrow. The nine-banded armadillo leaps vertically when startled. They also may run away, burrow, or claw at attackers.
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What are some unique features or behaviors that set armadillos apart from other mammals?
Armadillos are unique mammals known for their armored carapace, which covers most of their body, including the head, legs, and tail in most species. This armor is made of bony plates covered with tough scales. Three-banded armadillos can roll into a solid ball for defense, while the pink fairy armadillo uses its truncated carapace to plug the entrance of its burrow. The nine-banded armadillo can leap vertically when startled. When faced with water, they can either walk underwater by holding their breath or gulp air to swim. Uniquely, the common nine-banded armadillo gives birth to identical quadruplets due to a phenomenon called polyembryony.
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News •
armadillo, (family Dasypodidae), any of various armoured mammals found mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America. Most of the 20 species inhabit open areas, such as grasslands, but some also live in forests. All armadillos possess a set of plates called the carapace that covers much of the body, including the head and, in most species, the legs and tail. In all but one species the carapace is nearly hairless. The carapace is made of bony transverse bands covered with tough scales that are derived from skin tissue. The three-, six-, and nine-banded armadillos are named for the number of movable bands in their armour. Only one species, the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), is found in the United States. Its range has expanded into several southern states since it was first observed in Texas during the 1800s. Eight-banded individuals of this species are common in some regions. Southernmost armadillo species include the pichi (Zaedyus pichiy), a common resident of Argentine Patagonia, and the larger hairy armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus), which ranges far into southern Chile.
Natural history
Armadillos are stout brownish animals with strong curved claws and simple peglike teeth lacking enamel. The size of armadillos varies considerably. Whereas the common nine-banded armadillo in the United States measures about 76 cm (30 inches) long, including the tail, the pink fairy armadillo, or lesser pichiciego (Chlamyphorus truncatus), of central Argentina, is only about 16 cm (6 inches). In contrast, the endangered giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) can be 1.5 metres (5 feet) long and weigh 30 kg (66 pounds). It lives in the Amazon basin and adjacent grasslands.
Armadillos live alone, in pairs, or in small groups. Emerging from their burrows primarily at night, these efficient diggers use their keen sense of smell to locate food. They feed on termites and other insects, along with vegetation, small animals, and insect larvae associated with carrion. Armadillos spend the daylight hours in burrows that can be 6 metres (20 feet) long, extend 1.5 metres (5 feet) under the ground, and have up to 12 entrances. Each species digs burrows to accommodate its size and shape; other animals also use them for shelter. Because of their burrowing habits, armadillos are considered pests in many regions. Armadillo meat is eaten in various parts of South America. The common nine-banded armadillo is used in leprosy research because it is naturally susceptible to the disease and because the microbe that causes leprosy does not grow in laboratory culture media.
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Armadillos are timid. When threatened, they retreat to their burrows or, if caught in the open, draw in their feet so that their armour touches the ground. Three-banded armadillos (Tolypeutes) are able to roll into a solid ball as a means of protecting their vulnerable underparts. Once inside a burrow, some species flex their back plates and wedge themselves in so firmly that they are virtually impossible to pull out. The pink fairy armadillo uses a different strategy. As its scientific name, C. truncatus, suggests, the fairy armadillo is truncated; the rear of the carapace is vertical, and the animal uses it as a flat plate to plug the entrance of its burrow. Armadillos also may run away, burrow, or claw at attackers. The nine-banded armadillo leaps vertically when startled. If captured, it reacts by “playing dead,” either stiffening or relaxing but in either case remaining perfectly still. If this does not result in release, the captive armadillo begins kicking vigorously. When it encounters a body of water, D. novemcinctus has two options. Since its carapace is so dense that the animal cannot float, the first option is to continue walking through the water while holding its breath. Alternatively, the animal can gulp enough air into its digestive system to make itself buoyant and swim away.
Several kinds of sounds are reported to be made by fleeing or otherwise agitated armadillos. The peludos, or hairy armadillos (three species of genus Chaetophractus), make snarling sounds. The mulita (D. hybridus) repeatedly utters a guttural monosyllabic sound similar to the rapid fluttering of a human tongue.
Litter size varies from 1 to 12. The common nine-banded armadillo bears young as sets of identical quadruplets that develop in the uterus from a single fertilized egg—a phenomenon called polyembryony. The gestation period is four months in this species, but this does not include a variable delay period of up to several months between the fertilization of the egg and its implantation in the wall of the uterus. Young are born with soft, leathery skin and can walk within a few hours after birth. The life span of this species is 12–15 years.