![Three Banded Armadillo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fb/Three_Banded_Armadillo.jpg)
Armadillos (meaning "little armored ones" in
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...
) are
New World
The term ''New World'' is often used to mean the majority of Earth's Western Hemisphere, specifically the Americas."America." ''The Oxford Companion to the English Language'' (). McArthur, Tom, ed., 1992. New York: Oxford University Press, p. 3 ...
placental
Placental mammals (infraclass Placentalia ) are one of the three extant subdivisions of the class Mammalia, the other two being Monotremata and Marsupial
Marsupials are any members of the mammalian infraclass Marsupialia. All extant marsup ...
mammal
Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...
s in the
order
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
Cingulata
Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra, is an order of armored New World placental mammals. Dasypodids and chlamyphorids, the armadillos, are the only surviving families in the order. Two groups of cingulates much larger than extant armad ...
. The
Chlamyphoridae
Chlamyphoridae is a family of cingulate mammals. While glyptodonts have traditionally been considered stem-group cingulates outside the group that contains modern armadillos, there had been speculation that the extant family Dasypodidae could b ...
and
Dasypodidae
Dasypodidae is a family of mostly extinct genera of armadillos. One genus, '' Dasypus'', is extant, with at least seven living species.
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Classification
Below is a taxonomy of armadillos in this family.
Family Dasypodidae
*† Genus ...
are the only surviving
families
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Ideall ...
in the order, which is part of the superorder
Xenarthra
Xenarthra (; from Ancient Greek ξένος, xénos, "foreign, alien" + ἄρθρον, árthron, "joint") is a major clade of placental mammals native to the Americas. There are 31 living species: the anteaters, tree sloths, and armadillos. Ex ...
, along with the
anteater
Anteater is a common name for the four extant mammal species of the suborder Vermilingua (meaning "worm tongue") commonly known for eating ants and termites. The individual species have other names in English and other languages. Together with ...
s and
sloth
Sloths are a group of Neotropical xenarthran mammals constituting the suborder Folivora, including the extant arboreal tree sloths and extinct terrestrial ground sloths. Noted for their slowness of movement, tree sloths spend most of their li ...
s. Nine
extinct
Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
and 21 extant
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
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
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
, where they inhabit a variety of different environments.
Armadillos are characterized by a leathery
armor
Armour (British English) or armor (American English; see spelling differences) is a covering used to protect an object, individual, or vehicle from physical injury or damage, especially direct contact weapons or projectiles during combat, or fr ...
shell and long, sharp claws for digging. They have short legs, but can move quite quickly. The average length of an armadillo is about , including its tail. The
giant armadillo
The giant armadillo (''Priodontes maximus''), colloquially ''tatu-canastra'', ''tatou'', ''ocarro'' or ''tatú carreta'', is the largest living species of armadillo (although their extinct relatives, the Glyptodontidae, glyptodonts, were much l ...
grows up to and weighs up to , while the
pink fairy armadillo has a length of only . When threatened by a predator, ''
Tolypeutes
The genus ''Tolypeutes'' contains the two species of three-banded armadillos. They are restricted to open and semi-open habitats in South America.
Of the several armadillo genera, only ''Tolypeutes'' rely heavily on their armor for protection. W ...
'' species frequently roll up into a ball; they are the only species of armadillo capable of this.
Etymology
The word ''armadillo'' means "little armored one" in Spanish. The
Aztecs
The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...
called them ''āyōtōchtli'' ,
Nahuatl
Nahuatl (; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have smaller ...
for "turtle-rabbit": ''āyōtl'' (turtle) and ''tōchtli'' (rabbit).
[ View entry a]
"ayotoch"
in ''Nahuatl Dictionary'', by the Wired Humanities Projects, Stephanie Wood (ed.) Retrieved 2015-07-22. The
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
word for "armadillo" is ''tatu'' which is derived from the
Tupi language
Old Tupi, Ancient Tupi or Classical Tupi (also spelled as Tupí) is an extinct Tupian language which was spoken by the aboriginal Tupi people of Brazil, mostly those who inhabited coastal regions in South and Southeast Brazil. It belongs to the ...
. Similar names are also found in other, especially European, languages.
Classification
![Pink Fairy Armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1e/Pink_Fairy_Armadillo_%28Chlamyphorus_truncatus%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Family
Dasypodidae
Dasypodidae is a family of mostly extinct genera of armadillos. One genus, '' Dasypus'', is extant, with at least seven living species.
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Classification
Below is a taxonomy of armadillos in this family.
Family Dasypodidae
*† Genus ...
* Subfamily
Dasypodinae
Dasypodidae is a family of mostly extinct genera of armadillos. One genus, '' Dasypus'', is extant, with at least seven living species.
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Classification
Below is a taxonomy of armadillos in this family.
Family Dasypodidae
*† Genu ...
** Genus ''
Dasypus
''Dasypus'' is the only extant genus in the family Dasypodidae. Its species are known as long-nosed or naked-tailed armadillos. They are found in South, Central, and North America, as well as on the Caribbean islands of Grenada, Trinidad and Toba ...
''
![TatusorGuineanBeast](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/TatusorGuineanBeast.jpg)
***
Nine-banded armadillo
The nine-banded armadillo (''Dasypus novemcinctus''), also known as the nine-banded long-nosed armadillo or common long-nosed armadillo, is a mammal found in North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos. It ...
or long-nosed armadillo, ''Dasypus novemcinctus''
***
Seven-banded armadillo
The seven-banded armadillo (''Dasypus septemcinctus''), also known as the Brazilian lesser long-nosed armadillo, is a species of armadillo from South America found in Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil.
It is a solitary nocturnal, terrest ...
, ''Dasypus septemcinctus''
***
Southern long-nosed armadillo
The southern long-nosed armadillo (''Dasypus hybridus'') is a species of armadillo native to South America.
Description
Among the smallest of the long-nosed armadillos, individuals of the southern species measure about in head-body length, wit ...
, ''Dasypus hybridus''
***
Llanos long-nosed armadillo, ''Dasypus sabanicola''
***
Greater long-nosed armadillo
The greater long-nosed armadillo (''Dasypus kappleri'') is a South American species of armadillo found in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. It is a solitary, nocturnal, terrestrial animal tha ...
, ''Dasypus kappleri''
***
Hairy long-nosed armadillo
The hairy long-nosed armadillo or woolly armadilloGardner AL 2007 Mammals of South America Vol 1: Marsupials, Xenarthrans, Shrews and Bats- University of Chicago Press, Chicago. (''Dasypus pilosus'') is a species of armadillo in the family Dasypo ...
, ''Dasypus pilosus''
***
Yepes's mulita
Yepes's mulita or the Yungas lesser long-nosed armadillo (''Dasypus mazzai)'' is a species of armadillo in the family Dasypodidae. It is endemic to Argentina and Bolivia. Its natural habitat is subtropical dry forests. The species was renamed '' ...
, ''Dasypus yepesi''
***†Beautiful armadillo, ''
Dasypus bellus
''Dasypus bellus'', the beautiful armadillo, is an extinct armadillo species Endemism, endemic to North America and South America from the Pleistocene, living from 1.8 Annum, mya—11,000 years ago, existing for approximately .
Slightly larger t ...
''
***†''
Dasypus neogaeus''
** Genus †''
Stegotherium
''Stegotherium'' is an extinct genus of long-nosed armadillo, belonging to the Dasypodidae family alongside the nine-banded armadillo. It is currently the only genus recognized as a member of the tribe Stegotheriini. It lived during the Early Mio ...
''
Family
Chlamyphoridae
Chlamyphoridae is a family of cingulate mammals. While glyptodonts have traditionally been considered stem-group cingulates outside the group that contains modern armadillos, there had been speculation that the extant family Dasypodidae could b ...
* Subfamily
Chlamyphorinae
Chlamyphorinae is a subfamily of South American armadillos in the family Chlamyphoridae. Members of this subfamily, the fairy armadillos, are largely fossorial and have reduced eyes and robust forearms with large claws for digging.
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Ta ...
** Genus ''
Calyptophractus''
***
Greater fairy armadillo
The greater fairy armadillo (''Calyptophractus retusus''), also known as Burmeister's armadillo or the Chacoan fairy armadillo, is a species of armadillo in the family Chlamyphoridae. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, and Paraguay. Its natural h ...
, ''Calyptophractus retusus''
** Genus ''
Chlamyphorus''
***
Pink fairy armadillo, ''Chlamyphorus truncatus''
* Subfamily
Euphractinae
Euphractinae is an armadillo subfamily in the family Chlamyphoridae.
Euphractinae are known for having a well developed osteoderm that has large cavities filled with adipose tissue, and more hair follicles with well developed sebaceous glands i ...
** Genus ''
Chaetophractus
''Chaetophractus'' is a small genus of armadillos in the family Chlamyphoridae. It contains the following three species:
Members of the genus are endemic to the continent of South America. They are found in the central and southern countries s ...
''
![Chaetophractus vellerosus3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Chaetophractus_vellerosus3.jpg)
***
Screaming hairy armadillo
The screaming hairy armadillo (''Chaetophractus vellerosus'') is a species of armadillo also known as the small screaming armadillo, crying armadillo or the small hairy armadillo. It is a burrowing armadillo found in the central and southern part ...
, ''Chaetophractus vellerosus''
***
Big hairy armadillo, ''Chaetophractus villosus''
***
Andean hairy armadillo
The Andean hairy armadillo (''Chaetophractus nationi'') is an armadillo found mainly in Bolivia, in the region of the Puna; the departments of Oruro, La Paz, and Cochabamba (Gardner, 1993). Nowark (1991) describes it as distributed in Bolivia a ...
, ''Chaetophractus nationi''
**Genus †''
Macroeuphractus
''Macroeuphractus'' is a genus of extinct armadillos from the Late Miocene to Late Pliocene of South America. The genus is noted for its large size, with ''Macroeuphractus outesi'' being the largest non- pampathere or glyptodont armadillo disc ...
''
**Genus †''
Paleuphractus''
**Genus †''
Proeuphractus
''Proeuphractus'' is an extinct genus of xenarthran, related to the modern armadillos. It lived from the Early to the Late Miocene, and its fossilized remains were discovered in South America.
Description
This animal was quite similar to the ...
''
**Genus †''
Doellotatus''
**Genus †''
Peltephilus
''Peltephilus'', the horned armadillo, is an extinct genus of dog-sized, armadillo xenarthran mammals which first inhabited Argentina during the Oligocene epoch, and became extinct in the Miocene epoch. Notably, the scutes on its head were so dev ...
''
*** †Horned armadillo, ''Peltephilus ferox''
** Genus ''
Euphractus
The six-banded armadillo (''Euphractus sexcinctus''), also known as the yellow armadillo, is an armadillo found in South America. The sole extant member of its genus, it was first described by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The six- ...
''
***
Six-banded armadillo
The six-banded armadillo (''Euphractus sexcinctus''), also known as the yellow armadillo, is an armadillo found in South America. The sole extant member of its genus, it was first described by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The six-b ...
, ''Euphractus sexcinctus''
** Genus ''
Zaedyus
The pichi (''Zaedyus pichiy''), dwarf armadillo or pygmy armadillo is an armadillo native to Argentina. It is the only living member of the genus ''Zaedyus'', and the only armadillo to hibernate.
Description
Pichis are relatively small armadil ...
''
***
Pichi
The pichi (''Zaedyus pichiy''), dwarf armadillo or pygmy armadillo is an armadillo native to Argentina. It is the only living member of the genus ''Zaedyus'', and the only armadillo to hibernate.
Description
Pichis are relatively small armadi ...
, ''Zaedyus pichiy''
* Subfamily
Tolypeutinae
Tolypeutinae is a subfamily of armadillos in the family Chlamyphoridae, consisting of the giant, three-banded and naked-tailed armadillos.
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Taxonomy
It contains the following genera:
*''Cabassous''
*''Kuntinaru''
*''Priodontes''
*''To ...
** Genus †''
Kuntinaru
''Kuntinaru'' is an extinct genus of tolypeutine chlamyphorid armadillo which existed in Bolivia, during the Late Oligocene ( Deseadan age). It is known from the holotype MNHN-SAL 1024, skull missing the apex of the rostrum and the paratype M ...
''
[
** Genus '']Cabassous
''Cabassous'' is a genus of South and Central American armadillos. The name is the Latinised form of the Kalini word for "armadillo".
Cladogram of living ''Cabassous''
The genus contains the following four species
In biology, a species ...
''
*** Northern naked-tailed armadillo, ''Cabassous centralis''
***Chacoan naked-tailed armadillo
The Chacoan naked-tailed armadillo (''Cabassous chacoensis'') is a species of South American armadillo.
It is the smallest of the naked-tailed armadillos, having an average head-body length of , while the other species range from . They also ha ...
, ''Cabassous chacoensis''
***Southern naked-tailed armadillo
The southern naked-tailed armadillo (''Cabassous unicinctus'') is a species of small armadillo from South America.
Description
Smaller than some other armadillos, males measure an average of in head-body length, and weigh around , while females ...
, ''Cabassous unicinctus''
*** Greater naked-tailed armadillo, ''Cabassous tatouay''
** Genus ''Priodontes
The giant armadillo (''Priodontes maximus''), colloquially ''tatu-canastra'', ''tatou'', ''ocarro'' or ''tatú carreta'', is the largest living species of armadillo (although their extinct relatives, the glyptodonts, were much larger). It lives ...
''
***Giant armadillo
The giant armadillo (''Priodontes maximus''), colloquially ''tatu-canastra'', ''tatou'', ''ocarro'' or ''tatú carreta'', is the largest living species of armadillo (although their extinct relatives, the Glyptodontidae, glyptodonts, were much l ...
, ''Priodontes maximus''
** Genus ''Tolypeutes
The genus ''Tolypeutes'' contains the two species of three-banded armadillos. They are restricted to open and semi-open habitats in South America.
Of the several armadillo genera, only ''Tolypeutes'' rely heavily on their armor for protection. W ...
''
***Southern three-banded armadillo
The southern three-banded armadillo (''Tolypeutes matacus''), also known as La Plata three-banded armadillo or Azara's domed armadillo, is an armadillo species from South America. It is found in parts of southwestern Brazil, northern Argentina, ...
, ''Tolypeutes matacus''
***Brazilian three-banded armadillo
The Brazilian three-banded armadillo (''Tolypeutes tricinctus'') is an armadillo species endemic to eastern Brazil, where it is known as (, lit. ball armadillo). It is one of only two species of armadillo that can roll into a ball (the other is ...
, ''Tolypeutes tricinctus''
† indicates extinct taxon
Phylogeny
Below is a recent simplified phylogeny of the xenarthran families, which includes armadillos, based on Slater et al. (2016) and Delsuc et al. (2016). The dagger symbol, "†", denotes extinct groups.
Evolution
Recent genetic research suggests that an extinct group of giant armored mammals, the glyptodont
Glyptodonts are an extinct subfamily of large, heavily armoured armadillos. They arose in South America around 48 million years ago and spread to southern North America after the continents became connected several million years ago. The best-kn ...
s, should be included within the lineage of armadillos, having diverged some 35 million years ago, more recently than previously assumed.
Distribution
Like all of the Xenarthra lineages, armadillos originated in South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
. Due to the continent's former isolation, they were confined there for most of the Cenozoic
The Cenozoic ( ; ) is Earth's current geological era, representing the last 66million years of Earth's history. It is characterised by the dominance of mammals, birds and flowering plants, a cooling and drying climate, and the current configura ...
. The recent formation of the Isthmus of Panama
The Isthmus of Panama ( es, Istmo de Panamá), also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien (), is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America. It contains the country ...
allowed a few members of the family to migrate northward into southern North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
by the early Pleistocene
The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...
, as part of the Great American Interchange
The Great American Biotic Interchange (commonly abbreviated as GABI), also known as the Great American Interchange and the Great American Faunal Interchange, was an important late Cenozoic paleozoogeographic biotic interchange event in which lan ...
. (Some of their much larger cingulate
Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra, is an order of armored New World placental mammals. Dasypodids and chlamyphorids, the armadillos, are the only surviving families in the order. Two groups of cingulates much larger than extant arm ...
relatives, the pampathere
Pampatheriidae ("Pampas beasts") is an extinct family of large plantigrade armored armadillos related to extant armadillos in the order Cingulata. However, pampatheriids have existed as a separate lineage since at least the middle Eocene Mus ...
s and chlamyphorid glyptodont
Glyptodonts are an extinct subfamily of large, heavily armoured armadillos. They arose in South America around 48 million years ago and spread to southern North America after the continents became connected several million years ago. The best-kn ...
s, made the same journey.)
Today, all extant armadillo species are still present in South America. They are particularly diverse in Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...
(where 11 species exist) and surrounding areas. Many species are endangered. Some, including four species of ''Dasypus
''Dasypus'' is the only extant genus in the family Dasypodidae. Its species are known as long-nosed or naked-tailed armadillos. They are found in South, Central, and North America, as well as on the Caribbean islands of Grenada, Trinidad and Toba ...
'', are widely distributed over the Americas, whereas others, such as Yepes's mulita
Yepes's mulita or the Yungas lesser long-nosed armadillo (''Dasypus mazzai)'' is a species of armadillo in the family Dasypodidae. It is endemic to Argentina and Bolivia. Its natural habitat is subtropical dry forests. The species was renamed '' ...
, are restricted to small ranges. Two species, the northern naked-tailed armadillo and nine-banded armadillo
The nine-banded armadillo (''Dasypus novemcinctus''), also known as the nine-banded long-nosed armadillo or common long-nosed armadillo, is a mammal found in North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos. It ...
, are found in Central America; the latter has also reached the United States, primarily in the south-central states (notably Texas), but with a range that extends as far east as North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
and Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, and as far north as southern Nebraska
Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
and southern Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
.[ Their range has consistently expanded in North America over the last century due to a lack of natural predators. Armadillos are increasingly documented in southern ]Illinois
Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
and are tracking northwards due to climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
.
Characteristics
Size
The smallest species of armadillo, the pink fairy armadillo, weighs around and is in total length. The largest species, the giant armadillo, can weigh up to , and can be long.[
]
Diet and predation
The diets of different armadillo species vary, but consist mainly of insect
Insects (from Latin ') are pancrustacean hexapod invertebrates of the class Insecta. They are the largest group within the arthropod phylum. Insects have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body ( head, thorax and abdomen), three pairs ...
s, grubs, and other invertebrate
Invertebrates are a paraphyletic group of animals that neither possess nor develop a vertebral column (commonly known as a ''backbone'' or ''spine''), derived from the notochord. This is a grouping including all animals apart from the chordate ...
s. Some species, however, feed almost entirely on ants and termites.
They are prolific diggers. Many species use their sharp claws to dig for food, such as grubs, and to dig dens. The nine-banded armadillo prefers to build burrows in moist soil near the creeks, streams, and arroyos
Arroyo often refers to:
* Arroyo (creek), an intermittently dry creek
Arroyo may also refer to:
People
* Arroyo (surname)
Places United States
;California
* Arroyo Burro Beach, a public beach park in Santa Barbara County, California
* Arroyo ...
around which it lives and feeds.
Armadillos have very poor eyesight, and use their keen sense of smell to hunt for food.[ They use their claws for digging and finding food, as well as for making their homes in burrows. They dig their burrows with their claws, making only a single corridor the width of the animal's body. They have five clawed toes on their hind feet, and three to five toes with heavy digging claws on their fore feet. Armadillos have numerous cheek teeth which are not divided into ]premolar
The premolars, also called premolar teeth, or bicuspids, are transitional teeth located between the canine and molar teeth. In humans, there are two premolars per quadrant in the permanent set of teeth, making eight premolars total in the mouth ...
s and molars, but usually have no incisor
Incisors (from Latin ''incidere'', "to cut") are the front teeth present in most mammals. They are located in the premaxilla above and on the mandible below. Humans have a total of eight (two on each side, top and bottom). Opossums have 18, whe ...
s or canines. The dentition
Dentition pertains to the development of teeth and their arrangement in the mouth. In particular, it is the characteristic arrangement, kind, and number of teeth in a given species at a given age. That is, the number, type, and morpho-physiolo ...
of the nine-banded armadillo is P 7/7, M 1/1 = 32.
Body temperature
In common with other xenarthrans, armadillos, in general, have low body temperature
Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different. A thermoconforming organism, by contrast, simply adopts the surrounding temperature ...
s of and low basal metabolic rate
Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the rate of food energy, energy expenditure per unit time by endotherm, endothermic animals at rest. It is reported in energy units per unit time ranging from watt (joule/second) to ml O2/min or joule per hour per kg b ...
s (40–60% of that expected in placental mammals of their mass). This is particularly true of types that specialize in using termites as their primary food source (for example, ''Priodontes
The giant armadillo (''Priodontes maximus''), colloquially ''tatu-canastra'', ''tatou'', ''ocarro'' or ''tatú carreta'', is the largest living species of armadillo (although their extinct relatives, the glyptodonts, were much larger). It lives ...
'' and ''Tolypeutes
The genus ''Tolypeutes'' contains the two species of three-banded armadillos. They are restricted to open and semi-open habitats in South America.
Of the several armadillo genera, only ''Tolypeutes'' rely heavily on their armor for protection. W ...
'').
Skin
The armor is formed by plates of dermal bone
A dermal bone or investing bone or membrane bone is a bony structure derived from intramembranous ossification forming components of the vertebrate skeleton including much of the skull, jaws, gill covers, shoulder girdle and fin spines rays (lepi ...
covered in relatively small overlapping epidermal scales called "scute
A scute or scutum (Latin: ''scutum''; plural: ''scuta'' "shield") is a bony external plate or scale overlaid with horn, as on the shell of a turtle, the skin of crocodilians, and the feet of birds. The term is also used to describe the anterior po ...
s" which are composed of keratin. Most species have rigid shields over the shoulders and hips, with a number of bands separated by flexible skin covering the back and flanks. Additional armor covers the top of the head, the upper parts of the limbs, and the tail. The underside of the animal is never armored, and is simply covered with soft skin and fur. This armor-like skin appears to be an important defense for many armadillos, although most escape predators by fleeing (often into thorny patches, from which their armor protects them) or digging to safety. Only the South American three-banded armadillos (''Tolypeutes'') rely heavily on their armor for protection.
Defensive behavior
When threatened by a predator
Predation is a biological interaction where one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation (which usually do not kill th ...
, ''Tolypeutes'' species frequently roll up into a ball. Other armadillo species cannot roll up because they have too many plates. The North American nine-banded armadillo tends to jump straight in the air when surprised, so consequently often collides with the undercarriage or fenders of passing vehicles to its demise.[
]
Movement
Armadillos have short legs, but can move quite quickly. The nine-banded armadillo is noted for its movement through water[ which is accomplished via two different methods: it can walk underwater for short distances, holding its breath for as long as six minutes; also, to cross larger bodies of water, it is capable of increasing its buoyancy by swallowing air, inflating its stomach and intestines.][
]
Reproduction
Gestation
Gestation is the period of development during the carrying of an embryo, and later fetus, inside viviparous animals (the embryo develops within the parent). It is typical for mammals, but also occurs for some non-mammals. Mammals during pregna ...
lasts from 60 to 120 days, depending on species, although the nine-banded armadillo also exhibits delayed implantation Embryonic diapause (from late 19th century English: dia- ‘through’ + pause- 'delay') (aka delayed implantation in mammals) is an evolutionary reproductive strategy used by several animal species across a number of kingdoms, including approximate ...
, so the young are not typically born for eight months after mating. Most members of the genus ''Dasypus'' give birth to four monozygotic
Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of TwinLast Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two em ...
young (that is, identical quadruplets),[ but other species may have typical litter sizes that range from one to eight. The young are born with soft, leathery skin which hardens within a few weeks. They reach sexual maturity in three to twelve months, depending on the species. Armadillos are solitary animals that do not share their burrows with other adults.]
Armadillos and humans
Science and education
Armadillos are often used in the study of leprosy
Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the nerves, respiratory tract, skin, and eyes. This nerve damag ...
, since they, along with mangabey
Mangabeys are West-African Old World monkeys, with species in three of the six genera of tribe Papionini.
The more typical representatives of ''Cercocebus'', also known as the white-eyelid mangabeys, are characterized by their bare, upper eye-l ...
monkeys, rabbits, and mice (on their footpads), are among the few known species that can contract the disease systemically. They are particularly susceptible due to their unusually low body temperature, which is hospitable to the leprosy bacterium, ''Mycobacterium leprae
''Mycobacterium leprae'' (also known as the leprosy bacillus or Hansen's bacillus), is one
of the two species of bacteria that cause Hansen’s disease (leprosy), a chronic but curable infectious disease that damages the peripheral nerves and ...
''. (The leprosy bacterium is difficult to culture and armadillos have a body temperature of , similar to human skin.) Humans can acquire a leprosy infection from armadillos by handling them or consuming armadillo meat.[ Armadillos are a presumed ]vector
Vector most often refers to:
*Euclidean vector, a quantity with a magnitude and a direction
*Vector (epidemiology), an agent that carries and transmits an infectious pathogen into another living organism
Vector may also refer to:
Mathematic ...
and natural reservoir
In infectious disease ecology and epidemiology, a natural reservoir, also known as a disease reservoir or a reservoir of infection, is the population of organisms or the specific environment in which an infectious pathogen naturally lives and rep ...
for the disease in Texas, Louisiana and Florida. Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the late 15th century, leprosy was unknown in the New World. Given that armadillos are native to the New World, at some point they must have acquired the disease from old-world humans.
The armadillo is also a natural reservoir
In infectious disease ecology and epidemiology, a natural reservoir, also known as a disease reservoir or a reservoir of infection, is the population of organisms or the specific environment in which an infectious pathogen naturally lives and rep ...
for Chagas disease
Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a tropical parasitic disease caused by ''Trypanosoma cruzi''. It is spread mostly by insects in the subfamily ''Triatominae'', known as "kissing bugs". The symptoms change over the cou ...
.[
The nine-banded armadillo also serves science through its unusual reproductive system, in which four genetically identical offspring are born, the result of one original egg.] Because they are always genetically identical, the group of four young provides a good subject for scientific, behavioral, or medical tests that need consistent biological and genetic makeup in the test subjects. This is the only reliable manifestation of polyembryony Polyembryony is the phenomenon of two or more embryos developing from a single fertilized egg. Due to the embryos resulting from the same egg, the embryos are identical to one another, but are genetically diverse from the parents. The genetic differ ...
in the class Mammalia
Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur o ...
, and exists only within the genus ''Dasypus'' and not in all armadillos, as is commonly believed. Other species that display this trait include parasitoid wasps, certain flatworms, and various aquatic invertebrates.
Even though they have a leathery, tough shell, Armadillos, (mainly ''Dasypus'') are common roadkill
Roadkill is an animal or animals that have been struck and killed by drivers of motor vehicles on highways. Wildlife-vehicle collisions (WVC) have increasingly been the topic of academic research to understand the causes, and how it can be mi ...
due to their habit of jumping 3–4 ft vertically when startled, which puts them into collision with the underside of vehicles. Wildlife enthusiasts are using the northward march of the armadillo as an opportunity to educate others about the animals, which can be a burrowing nuisance to property owners and managers.
Culture
Armadillo shells have traditionally been used to make the back of the ''charango
The charango is a small Andean stringed instrument of the lute family, from the Quechua and Aymara populations in the territory of the Altiplano in post-Colonial times, after European stringed instruments were introduced by the Spanish during c ...
'', an Andean
The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the List of mountain ranges#Mountain ranges by length, longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range i ...
lute
A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted.
More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...
instrument.
In certain parts of Central
Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object.
Central may also refer to:
Directions and generalised locations
* Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and South America
South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the southe ...
, armadillo meat is eaten; it is a popular ingredient in Oaxaca, Mexico. During the Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
, Americans were known to eat armadillo, known begrudgingly as "Hoover hogs", a nod to the belief that President Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
was responsible for the economic despair facing the nation at that time.
A whimsical account of ''The Beginning of the Armadillos'' is one of the chapters of Rudyard Kipling
Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work.
...
's ''Just So Stories
''Just So Stories for Little Children'' is a 1902 collection of origin stories by the British author Rudyard Kipling. Considered a classic of children's literature, the book is among Kipling's best known works.
Kipling began working on the ...
'' 1902 children's book. The vocal and piano duo Flanders and Swann
Flanders and Swann were a British comedy duo. Lyricist, actor and singer Michael Flanders (1922–1975) and composer and pianist Donald Swann (1923–1994) collaborated in writing and performing comic songs. They first worked together in a scho ...
recorded a humorous song called "The Armadillo".
Shel Silverstein
Sheldon Allan Silverstein (; September 25, 1930 – May 10, 1999) was an American writer, poet, cartoonist, singer / songwriter, musician, and playwright. Born and raised in Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, Silverstein briefly attended universit ...
wrote a two-line poem called "Instructions" on how to bathe an armadillo in his collection ''A Light in the Attic''. The reference was "use one bar of soap, a whole lot of hope, and 27 pads of Brillo."
See also
* Pangolin
Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (, from Ancient Greek ϕολιδωτός – "clad in scales"). The one extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: '' Manis'', '' Phataginus'', and '' Smut ...
s, another mammal group with defensive keratin body coverings
* Porcupine
Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethizont ...
s, another mammal group with defensive keratin body coverings
* Echidna
Echidnas (), sometimes known as spiny anteaters, are quill-covered monotremes (egg-laying mammals) belonging to the family Tachyglossidae . The four extant species of echidnas and the platypus are the only living mammals that lay eggs and the ...
s, a type of monotreme
Monotremes () are prototherian mammals of the order Monotremata. They are one of the three groups of living mammals, along with placentals (Eutheria), and marsupials (Metatheria). Monotremes are typified by structural differences in their brain ...
with a defensive keratin body covering
* Hedgehog
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introducti ...
s, another mammal group with defensive keratin body coverings
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
"Armadillo online" website
hosted b
Photographs of armadillo rolling into a ball
*
{{Authority control
Armadillos
Cingulates
Rolling animals
Extant Thanetian first appearances
Mammal common names