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. For some more interesting facts and amazing information about Armadillo… Armadillos are found from Argentina to Panama, with one species reaching the southern United States [3]. Armadillo eye sight is weak but they are good hunters due to their well developed sense of smell. These extinct creatures looked much like modern-day armadillos, only blown up several hundred sizes larger. Starting about three million years ago, the appearance of the isthmus facilitated the Great American Interchange, when various armadillo species migrated north (and, in turn, other types of mammals migrated south and replaced the native South American fauna). Like their marine cousins, terrestrial pill bugs use gill-like structures … Remarkable in every way, the armadillo is the only mammal with a shell. Ancient Animals– Scientists believe that the extinct glyptodont was related to modern-day armadillos. There are dozens of such interesting things about baby armadillos that most people do not know. Their body temperatures are also unique to make them as good specimens for research. Armadillos eat mostly insects. Of all armadillo species, the pink fairy armadillo is the only one whose dorsal shell is totally separate … 2) Armadillos were once a popular food source. Curling up for protection. Armadillos Hunt With Their Sense of Smell, Nine-Banded Armadillos Give Birth to Identical Quadruplets, Armadillos Are Often Used to Study Leprosy. Other armadillos are too unwieldy to pull off this trick and prefer to escape predators by simply running away or, like the nine-banded armadillo, executing a sudden vertical leap three or four feet into the air. Of all armadillo species, this is the only armadillo, whose dorsal shell is totally separate from its … This is really incredible and unique to the armadillo. 25 Kickass Random Facts List #570 jazz. November 25, 2020. However their body has been adapted to their surroundings in the process of evolution. The Fact Site is the number one source for the most interesting & random facts about animals, celebrities, food, films, games & so much more. Until the arrival of European settlers in South America 500 years ago, leprosy was unknown in the New World, so a series of unfortunate armadillos must have been picked up (or even adopted as pets) by Spanish conquistadors. They are special because of the fact that they have an outer shell like covering much akin to tortoise. This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Armadillos are like mammals and give birth to young ones and wean them with milk like any other mammals. 4 Adorable Baby Armadillo Videos ; Once an armadillo homes in on an insect nest, it quickly digs through the dirt or soil with its large front claws. There Are 21 Identified Armadillo Species, Armadillos Live in North, Central, and South America, The Plates of Armadillos Are Made of Bone, Armadillos Feed Exclusively on Invertebrates, Armadillos Are Closely Related to Sloths and Anteaters. The most remarkable feature of this species is the ability of females to postpone their pregnancy if the surrounding environment is not conducive. The three-banded armadillo is the only species that can roll into a ball for … Many Types of Armadillo. Bob Strauss is a science writer and the author of several books, including "The Big Book of What, How and Why" and "A Field Guide to the Dinosaurs of North America.". You can eat armadillo, called “possum on the half-shell,” or, during the Great Depression, “Hoover … One odd fact about armadillos is that, along with their xenarthran cousins sloths and anteaters, they have relatively sluggish metabolisms and low body temperatures. Fun Facts The smallest species of armadillo is the pink fairy armadillo - only 5-6" long and less than 1 lb in weight. However, they are versatile animals and are proficient in swimming and digging. 9. Check out these fun facts that makes armadillos simply amazing! Fact List. 25 Interesting Historical Photos – Part 264 jazz. Armadillo sizes span from 5-59 inches (12-150cm) in length and 3-120 pounds (1.3-54 kg) in weight. One type of armadillo - the three banded armadillo - instinctually rolls itself into a ball when threatened, completely enclosing its body in its armor-like shell to defend against predators. Check out the following list of 10 of their most interesting features and habits. Interesting facts about the Armadillo: 1) Armadillos can vary in color and may be pinkish, dark-brown, black, red, gray or yellowish. Armadillos have strong legs and sharp claws. Ringed and Round– Despite the popular myth, most species of armadillos cannot ro… Categories Animals Tags can i pet pink fairy armadillo , Interesting Facts , pink fairy armadillo , pink fairy armadillo scientific name , threatened species Leave a … On the other end of the food chain, smaller armadillo species are preyed on by coyotes, cougars, and bobcats, and occasionally even hawks and eagles. The nine-banded armadillo is a solitary, mainly nocturnal animal, found in many kinds of habitats, from mature and secondary rainforests to grassland and dry scrub. However, nine-banded armadillos accomplish this feat all the time: After fertilization, the egg of the female splits into four genetically identical cells, which go on to produce four genetically identical offspring. It is possible to housebreak an armadillo. Along with the three-ton prehistoric sloth Megatherium and the bizarre-looking hoofed mammal Macrauchenia, South America was populated by the likes of Glyptodon, a 10-foot-long, one-ton armadillo that feasted on plants rather than insects. Armadillos have four babies at a time, always all the same sex. Researchers estimate that the largest glyptodonts could weigh nearly 4,500 lbs.! Fact List Random Facts. These act as the main protection from predators. This interesting fact will have your taste … Armadillos are unique animals, with unique traits and behaviors. Armadillos have a wide range of colors. A Practically Immortal Animal Is Spreading Across the Planet, Facts About the Search for Extraterrestrial Life in the Universe, Mourning Geckos: Reptiles That Reproduce Without Males, Facts About Faithless Electors and the Electoral College, Beethoven Facts: A Look Into This Brilliant Composer’s Life, The History Of Taekwondo: Everything You Need To Know, Cleopatra Facts – 34 Interesting Facts About Cleopatra, Cinco de Mayo Facts – 33 Interesting Facts About Cinco de Mayo. Armadillo are barrel shaped animals who have a natural armor for protection. Armadillos can be pinkish, dark-brown, black, red, gray or yellowish in color. 10. Armadillo Facts. Don't get the idea that they are cowards, however. Unlike the horns of rhinos or the fingernails and toenails of humans, the plates of armadillos are made of solid bone. Why this happens is a bit of a mystery. Both anteaters and armadillos are classified as xenarthrans. 0 . Armadillos are like mammals and give birth to young ones and wean them with milk like any other mammals. They’re little leapers. More Facts on Pink Fairy Armadillo The pink fairy armadillo sleeps between 16 – 18 hours in a day and mostly spends of its life in its burrow. Description Approximately 20 species of armadillo exist, but the nine-banded is the only one found in the United States. The armadillo armor is made up of overlapping plates covering the back, head, legs and tail. Only one of the twenty-odd varieties of armadillos — the three-banded armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus) — is able to roll up. Given this anatomical fact, there is actually only one armadillo species—the three-banded armadillo—that's flexible enough to curl up into an impenetrable ball when threatened. The Pink fairy armadillo has the nickname of "sand-swimmer" because it can burrow through soil as quickly as a fish swimming in the sea. Such an ability can make armadillos very beneficial to humans. Interesting Armadillo Facts: They vary in size, from 5-59 inches in length to 3-120 pounds in weight. Contents. They are closely related to anteaters and sloths. It is an insectivore, feeding chiefly on ants, termites, and other small invertebrates. The armor on their back is made up of plates of dermal bone, covered by overlapping scales called ‘scutes’. The hard shell of this species is made up of 24 bands that enable it to curl up into a ball. The most common type of armadillo in the United States is the nine-banded armadillo. The other types are covered with too many bony plates to allow them to curl up. While armadillos are common sights in certain parts of North, Central, and South America, they remain objects of intense curiosity—and for good reason. They use their claws for digging and finding food, as well as for making their homes in burrows. Tweet. … Xenarthrans (Greek for "strange joints") exhibit a strange property called, you guessed it, xenarthry, which refers to the extra articulations in these animals' backbones. 1. Fact: McDonald’s once made bubblegum-flavored broccoli. Among humans, giving birth to identical quadruplets is literally a one-in-a-million event, much rarer than identical twins or triplets. It's possible that having four identical offspring of the same sex reduces the risk of inbreeding when the juveniles mature, or it may just be an evolutionary quirk from millions of years ago that somehow got "locked into" the armadillo genome because it didn't have any long-term disastrous consequences. Armadillos have very poor eyesight, and use their keen sense of smell to hunt for food. 7 – Armadillos come in many different sizes, from the smallest, the ‘Pink Fairy’ at about 5 inches (13cm) long and 85g in weight, to the largest, not surprisingly the ‘Giant’, at up to five foot (150cm) long and around 60kg (132lb).8 – Although nearly blind and deaf, armadillos have no trouble working out what’s going on around them because they have a great sense of smell, with which they can smell things that are up to 20cm (9 inches) underground. Some classic charangos are still made out of armadillos, but wooden instruments are much more common (and presumably less distinctive sounding). In the face of accumulated genetic evidence, the superorder Xenarthra was split into two orders: Cingulata, which includes armadillos, and Pilosa, which comprises sloths and anteaters. The term “armadillo” means “little armored one” in Spanish, and refers to the presence of bony, armor-like plates covering their body. Meet the Xenarthrans - Armadillos, Sloths, and Anteaters, Doedicurus: The Giant Prehistoric Armadillo, Prehistoric Life During the Pleistocene Epoch, Giant Mammal and Megafauna Pictures and Profiles, 11 Living Species That Were Once Thought to Be Extinct. One of the more amazing armadillo facts is that nine-banded armadillos always have quadruplets - four babies at a time, all of the same sex. Armadillos are among the most distinctive-looking of all mammals. 0 . Different species are identified by the number of scales they have on their body. Follow Us. The smallest is known as the pink fairy armadillo, which is about the size of a chipmunk. They grow directly out of these animals' vertebrae. A variant of the guitar, charangos became popular among the indigenous peoples of northwestern South America after the arrival of European settlers. 11. 1-5 Armadillo Facts 1. Other armadillo dug themselves in soil and expose only their armor and protect their tender stomach. Armadillos are solitary most of the time and spend most of their time sleeping. Armadillos of the genus Dasypus give birth to four genetically identical young that split from the same embryo; i.e. November 26, 2020. The animal originated in South America and remained land locked and isolated for a major part of time before the formation of the Isthmus of Panama in the early Pleistocene which enabled them to migrate to North America. They are also characterized by the unique shape of their hips, their low body temperatures, and the internal testicles of males. The Nine-banded armadillo is the official state small mammal of Texas, nicknamed the ‘hillbilly … The three banded armadillo rolls itself into a ball to escape from predators. A microscopic image of the bacteria causing leprosy. Details Written by Jeff Mayhew f Share. However their body has been adapted to their surroundings in the process of evolution. It has plates of bone covered with leathery skin across its back and tail, and bony armor scales on the head and face. Let’s get going. This is why we have compiled a list of Baby armadillo photos, videos & facts in this article that our readers might have never known. They look a bit like a cross between a polecat and an armored dinosaur. Its armor is flattened at the rear so it is able to compress the dirt behind while digging. Glyptodon lumbered across the Argentinean pampas right up to the cusp of the last Ice Age. These animals … 1 . The only species that ranges across the expanse of the Americas is the nine-banded armadillo, which can be found as far afield as Texas, Florida, and Missouri. Armadillos are omnivores, which means they eat meat and plants, though 90% of an armadillo’s diet is made up of insects and larvae. They are perfect quadruplets, the fertilized cell split into quarters, resulting in four identical armadillos. There are more than 21 species of armadillo from as tiny as 6 inches, the Pink Fairy Armadillo to giant ones which can measure 1.5 meters. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Armadillo facts: Interesting facts about Armadillos. The earliest human settlers of South America occasionally slaughtered these giant armadillos for their meat and used their capacious shells to shelter themselves from the elements. Armadillos are classified as xenarthrans, a superorder of placental mammals that also includes sloths and anteaters. Fact List Random Facts. Despite their name, nine-banded armadillos can have 7 to 11 bands on their armor. Fun Facts for Kids. Popular Facts Lists. Some armadillos are also good at holding their breath for extended periods of time; for example, the nine-banded armadillo can stay underwater for as long as six minutes. Their whole body (head, back, legs and tail) is covered with bony plates. Of course, such an odd-looking animal has to be equally as interesting! Armadillo and Anteaters are cousins and both have pointed nose and sticky tongue. You will learn something about everything! Today, most armadillos live exclusively in Central or South America. Among the less-well-known species are the screaming hairy armadillo, the greater long-nosed armadillo, the southern naked-tailed armadillo, the pink fairy armadillo (which is only about the size of a squirrel), and the giant armadillo (120 pounds—a good match for a welterweight fighter). They can be pink, red, black, gray or yellow.Some people eat armadillos and claim it tastes like pork.The nine-banded armadillo is the official state animal of Texas.The giant armadillo can have up to 100 teeth, according to the San Diego Zoo.The screaming hairy armadillo gets it name from the sound it makes when threatened. Pill Bugs Breathe Through Gills. Nine-banded Armadillo Facts Contrary to popular belief, the nine-banded armadillo can not roll itself into a ball to escape predators!! Armadillos are one of the few animals who consume fire ants as part of their diet. The word Armadillo is a Spanish word which means “little armored one”. Discover surprising insights and little-known facts about politics, literature, science, and the marvels of the natural world. they always have identical quadruplets; they are the only known vertebrate animals to exhibit this “polyembryony”. 0 . 12. Like most small, skittering mammals that live in burrows, armadillos rely on their acute sense of smell to locate prey and avoid predators (a nine-banded armadillo can sniff out grubs buried six inches beneath the soil), and they have relatively weak eyes. 2. November 23, 2020. During the Pleistocene epoch 1 million years ago, mammals came in much bigger packages than they do today. A very interesting fact about armadillos is the same sex nature of their offspring. Currently, more than 50 million armadillos are living in the United States. 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. The number and pattern of the bands range anywhere from three to nine, depending on the species. Given this anatomical fact, there is actually only one armadillo species—the three-banded armadillo—that's flexible enough to curl up into an impenetrable ball when threatened. The holes can be a huge nuisance to homeowners, who may have no choice but to call a professional exterminator. 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. Here are 12 interesting facts about armadillos: There are twenty different varieties of Armadillo. Armadillo facts: Interesting facts about Armadillos. The armor is effective against most of its enemies but not the vehicles of modern day and frequently gets run over by automobiles. 22 Interesting Facts About Tornadoes jazz. Other armadillos are too unwieldy to pull off this trick and prefer to escape predators by simply running away or, like the nine-banded armadillo, executing a sudden vertical leap three or four feet into the air. This refers to the number of bands on the armadillo’s armor. This makes armadillos especially susceptible to the bacterium that causes leprosy (which needs a cool skin surface on which to propagate), and thus makes these mammals ideal test subjects for leprosy research. The largest are the giant armadillos, which are about the size of a small pig. November 24, 2020. When startled or scared, these armadillos can jump four to five feet high. All of these armadillo species are characterized by the armor plating on their heads, backs, and tails—the distinctive feature that gives this family of mammals its name (Spanish for "little armored ones"). They are special because of the fact that they have an outer shell like covering much akin to tortoise. Such is the case with armadillos, which subsist exclusively on ants, termites, worms, grubs, and pretty much any other invertebrates that can be unearthed by burrowing into the soil. This is something not seen much in the animal kingdom but for a few. The adult nine-banded armadillo, the only kind to live in North America, is typically gray or brown. armadillo (är´mədĬl´Å), New World armored mammal of the order Edentata, a group that also includes the sloth [1] and the anteater [2], characterized by peglike teeth without roots or enamel. Pangolins and aardvarks, which superficially resemble armadillos and anteaters, respectively, are unrelated mammals, the features of which can be chalked up to convergent evolution. 25 Kickass Random Facts List #569 jazz. In fact, most nine-banders are killed by humans, either on purpose (for their meat) or accidentally (by speeding cars). Only three-banded armadillo can curl into the ball to protect itself from predators. Texas is not the only place where you’ll find armadillos. Part of the reason nine-banded armadillos are so widespread is that they're not especially favored by natural predators. Animals typically transmit diseases to humans, but in the case of armadillos, the process seems to have worked in reverse. For hundreds of years, the soundbox (resonating chamber) of the typical charango was made from the shell of an armadillo, perhaps because Spanish and Portuguese colonialists prohibited the natives from using wood, or perhaps because the smallish shell of an armadillo could more easily be tucked into native garments.