Armadillos - Distribution And Habitat, Physical Appearance, Feeding And Defense, Reproduction
species six banded
Armadillos are bony-skinned mammals native to Central and South America. Armadillos (family Dasypodidae) number 20 species in eight genera. The species include the long-nosed armadillo (six species), the naked-tailed armadillo (four species), the hairy armadillo (three species), the three-banded armadillo (two species), the fairy armadillo (two species), the six-banded or yellow armadillo (one species), the pichi (one species), and the giant armadillo (one species).
Additional Topics
Armadillos are found through the whole of South and Central America, from the Strait of Magellan northward to eastern Mexico. The common long-nosed (or nine-banded) armadillo is the most widespread and is the only species found in the United States. In the 1850s several armadillos were recorded in Texas, and their descendants spread rapidly through the Gulf States toward the Atlantic in what has b…
Armadillos appear to be a conglomeration of other animal parts—the shell of a turtle, the ears of an aardvark, the feet of a lizard, the face of a pig, and the tail of a dinosaur. However, the patches and bands of coarse bristles and hairs on their bodies reveal them to be true mammals. Extinct species of armadillo grew to enormous sizes and their bony shells were used as roofs and tombs by…
Armadillos are predominantly nocturnal in their foraging habits and their teeth dictate their diet. Those with sturdy teeth eat insects, snails, worms, small lizards, carrion, tubers, and fruits. Those with soft teeth eat primarily insects such as ants and termites. Using their long, sticky tongue to remove insects from their nests, they have been observed to eat as many as 40,000 ants at one feed…
Armadillos are solitary creatures that seek companions only during the mating season. After mating, female armadillos can suspend their pregnancy for up to two years. Another reproductive peculiarity of armadillos that has caught the attention of geneticists is the ability to produce multiple births from a single fertilized egg: depending on the species, 4, 8, or 12 genetically identical offspring…
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User Comments
about 1 year ago
pretty good mon!!!!