The Wonderful Armadillo opus 790
| 16 March 2026 1638 Hours | | Zoology, Biology, Climate, Diet, Environment, Food, Mammalogy, Migration, Science |
Armadillos are the only mammal with a true bony shell.
They are related to anteaters and sloths.
Twenty-one species are found in South America.
One, the Nine-banded Armadillo, has migrated north into the US
And is one of the three State Mammals of Texas.
John Lewis is responsible for its designation in that state.
I sought him out on a trip to Texas,
Where he was demonstrating these animals at a Chili Fest.
A kind, soft-spoken small man with rosy smooth skin.
We compared stories of my designating California's State Grass
To his work, forming recognition of the armadillo in Texas.
He explained that for defense, this creature partially rolls into a ball.
When startled some species can leap 3 to 4 feet vertically into the air.
This ability often results in fatal collisions with a vehicle's undercarriage.
With powerful forelimbs and long claws, they excavate deep dens.
They also turn up surface soil when hunting for insects and other prey.
An armadillo's egg splits into four separate embryos
Which produces identical quadruplets of the same sex.
Delayed implantation ensures a summer breeding
Will yield the spring birth of young with a plentiful food supply.
Armadillos are insectivores with long, sticky tongues
Used to consume up to 40,000 ants or termites in one meal!
They also ingest worms, grubs, beetles, some small vertebrates,
Along with occasional consumption of even carrion.
This creature is sensitive to cold, limiting it to warmer climates.
Some species are moving further north due to Climate Change.
Only humans and armadillos naturally contract leprosy and because of this,
Armadillos' identical offspring are used to study leprosy,
Birth defects, and organ transplants.
Wouldn't you know it, armadillos are one of my favorite creatures.
An armadillo addendum: It has been reported that these creatures
Are now recorded in North Carolina for the first time.
Besides Climate Change, there also seems to be an increase
In insect populations, allowing for a good food source.
Armadillos, along with beavers, are both considered
To be environmental engineers. Beaver dams slow down
Water flow and loss and armadillos' burrows create shelter
For many other species sharing their habitat.