2010
Search results
They form part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. 21 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are distinguished by the number of bands on their armor. All species are native to the Americas, where they inhabit a variety of different environments.
- Bob Strauss
- There Are 21 Identified Armadillo Species. The nine-banded armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus, is by far the most familiar, but armadillos come in an impressive range of shapes and sizes, and with some of the most amusing names.
- Armadillos Live in North, Central, and South America. Armadillos are exclusively New World mammals, originating in South America millions of years ago during the Cenozoic Era, when the Central American isthmus had yet to form and this continent was cut off from North America.
- The Plates of Armadillos Are Made of Bone. Unlike the horns of rhinos or the fingernails and toenails of humans, the plates of armadillos are made of solid bone.
- Armadillos Feed Exclusively on Invertebrates. The vast majority of armored animals—from the long-extinct Ankylosaurus to the modern pangolin—evolved, so their plates were not for intimidating other creatures but to avoid being eaten by predators.
Learn about armadillos, the only living mammals with bony plates that cover their bodies. Find out how they live, what they eat, and how they defend themselves from predators.
Though they seem scaled, like a reptile, armadillos are actually mammals. They are warm-blooded, have hair, give live birth, and nurse their babies with milk. Their name comes from their thick leathery skin, and means “little armored one” in Spanish. Read on to learn about the armadillo. Armadillo selfie!
- Catie Leary
- The Nine-Banded Is the Only Species Found in the United States. The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is the only armadillo species that migrated to North America.
- Brazilian Three-Banded Armadillos Are Lazarus Species. Brazilian three-banded armadillos were believed extinct until 1988.3 Since then, researchers have found scattered, small populations.
- Giant Glyptodonts Are Their Extinct Kin. Glyptodonts were heavily armored, dinosaur-sized, early mammals. In 2016, scientists determined glyptodonts were a subfamily of armadillos that first appeared 35 million years ago.5 They became extinct around the end of the last ice age, while their smaller and more lightly armored relatives survived.
- They Sleep Up to 16 Hours Each Day. As nocturnal animals, armadillos perform most activities — foraging, eating, burrowing, mating — at night. During the daylight hours, they spend up to 16 hours sleeping, usually in burrows.
Aug 22, 2024 · 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.
Oct 6, 2015 · The nine-banded armadillo ranges from Argentina to the southern United States, according to the Animal Diversity Web (ADW) at the University of Michigan. Since the mid-19th century, nine-banded...
