Armadillo

 In Spanish, "armadillo" means little armored one. This refers to the bony like plates along their backs. Although their name suggests they will always have nine bands, they can have 7 to 11.

Armadillos have been a human food source that has sparked other names like "poor man's pork" and "Hoover hog" from the people who blamed President Hoover for the great depression.

At the bottom of this fact page, you can learn more about how ARMADILLOS CONTRACTED LEPROSY! • Nine-Banded Armadillos cannot roll themselves into a complete ball. Out of the 20 species of armadillo in the world, only the three-banded armadillo can roll up into a tight ball. The nine-banded armadillo will often tuck their head if they sense danger but are quick on their feet and choose to flee when sensing danger! A cool fact about armadillos is they can jump 3 to 4 feet in the air! This is a defensive response that helps them to evade a predator but often proves fatal when a vehicle approaches, causing the armadillo to jump under or in front of the car instead of remaining low in avoidance.

Armadillos are primarily nocturnal and have very poor eyesight. They rely on on their sense of smell and hearing to find food and detect danger. Armadillos consume about 200 pounds of insects and worms per year! They can smell insects and worms 6 inches under the ground. Once a bug is detected, they will use their claws to dig down to the bug, often creating divots in the ground that some homeowners feel are unsightly. Although this can be a visual nuisance, in turn, you are getting a free bug control and lawn aeration! Their teeth are peg-like molars that are not meant for ripping trough flesh but to break through bug exoskeletons, which make up most of their diet. They do have a sweet tooth and will consume berries or fruit when found. They also have a long sticky tongue that aids in slurping up bugs. It is not surprising that they are cousins of the anteaters since they share some similar features! The female will almost always give birth to four identical young (quadruplets), all develop from the same egg and share the same placenta! The average length of an adult armadillo is about 2 to 2.5 ft. from nose to tail and can weigh up to 12 pounds. The average lifespan is 7 to 15 with reports of captives living longer.

COOL FACT!! The nine-banded armadillo can hold their breath up to 6 minutes and can swim across or even walk along the bottom of a body of water to get to the other side! This helps to prove their natural migration and range expansion into the state of Florida where they are often considered an introduced species! Leprosy, or also known as Hanson's disease, is a popular concern when it comes to the armadillo and human interactions!

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