01/10/2014
Armadillo:
most armadillo species look like they have no hair, they do have wiry hairs on the sides and the belly. Some people refer to the hairs as curb feelers, since armadillos can feel their way around an area at night as the hairs as curb feelers, since armadillos can feel their way around an area at night as the hair touch objects.
The one thing that tells everyone they are looking at an armadillo is the roly-poly shell with what are called "armored" bands. The number of bands depends on the species.
Although the bands are tough like fingernails, the shell is flexible, with softer skin that expands and contracts between the bands.
Armadillos also have long claws for digging and foraging for food. Their peg-shaped teeth crunch through the bodies of insects, an armadillo's favorite food.
There are 20 armadillos species; all are found in the Americas, and most live in Central or South America. Only one armadillo species is found in the United States, the nine-banded armadillo. "
Armadillos burrow in grass, hollow logs, and sometimes underground. -
In the looks department, the nine-banded armadillo appears naked, while the pink fairy armadillo is mostly furry and has very little shell. In fact, it looks like a mole wearing a fancy, armored headdress and cape! In the size department, armadillos range in length from the pink fairy armadillo at 3 inches (8 centimeters) to the giant armadillo, which can be up to 5 feet (1.5 meters) long from head to tail and weigh up to 132 pounds (60 kg).
Armadillos are warm-blooded,
This causes their behavior to change from season to season. For example, in hotter months, armadillos may be nocturnal, foraging at night when it is cooler and easy to move around. When the weather gets cooler, the same armadillo may start foraging earlier in the day, becoming more diurnal.
The three-banded armadillo is the only species that can roll up into a ball for protection"
Armadillos are considered insectivores, and their closest relatives are sloths and anteaters. Although most of their diet is made up of insects and invertebrates, armadillos also eat fruit, eggs, and small animals. They have even been seen eating carrion.
A baby armadillo is called a pup. Armadillos can have from 1 to 12 pups in a litter. When the pups are born, their shell is soft and gray and feels like leather. - thats good "
The life span of an armadillo ranges from 4 to 30 years "
Giant armadillo: Armored king
Besides being the largest of the armadillos, the giant armadillo also has the most teeth, up to 100! It often rises on its back legs, balancing with its tail. Very little is known about this amazing creature, one of the most endangered mammals in South America. - "
