Description

The name armadillo is derived from the diminutive of the Spanish word armado, meaning one that is armed. The name is aptly applied, as the armadillo is covered in armor made up of small plates of bone, each covered by a layer of horny skin and separated from its neighbors by soft skin from which sparse hairs grow. The carapace (back plate) hangs down over the body protecting the soft underparts and limbs. It is divided into two shields, one covering the fore limbs and one the hind limbs, the two being linked across the middle of the back by a series of transverse bands of plates that allow the carapace to be flexed. Despite its name, the nine-banded armadillo may have as few as seven or as many as eleven of these bands. The head is also armored, the tail is protected by a series of transverse bony ridges, and the underparts are covered with a dense layer of hair and scattered small bony scales.

The nine-banded armadillo grows to a total length of from 24 to 31 inches, including its 9-1/2- to 14-1/2-inch tail. Males range in weight from 12 to 15 pounds, females from 7 to 13 pounds.

Distribution and Habitat

The nine-banded armadillo is found from Peru and northern Argentina to the south central and southeastern United States, as well as on the islands of Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago. It lives in a wide variety of habitats over its geographic range.

Habits and Behaviors

The nine-banded armadillo is primarily nocturnal, spending the daylight hours in a burrow. The burrow may be occupied by several armadillos of the same sex, as well as by other mammals such as rabbits, skunks and possums. The burrow is usually two to three feet underground and is not branched.

Although the armadillo is proportionately heavy with its coat of armor, it can cross a water barrier with relative ease. If the water is shallow and narrow it can walk or run across the bottom. To cross deeper or broader stretches of water it will gulp air into the digestive tract and swim across using a stroke very similar to that of a dog. It is said that an armadillo can stay submerged for as long as six minutes.

Contrary to popular belief, nine-banded armadillos do not curl up into a ball when threatened -- their armor is not flexible enough. If cornered an armadillo will defend itself with its sharp claws, but it is much more likely to run away. It will also attempt to burrow into the ground if unable to find a hole. Once in a hole or burrow the armadillo will wedge itself in by arching its back against the walls, making it all but impossible to dislodge.

The nine-banded armadillo's typical response when startled is to jump, a response which has led to many an armadillo meeting an untimely demise on roads and highways. Even when straddled by the wheels of a vehicle, the upward jump of alarm results in the armadillo hitting the bottom of the vehicle, often causing the unfortunate animal to wind up directly in the path of one of the rear tires.

Diet

Nine-banded armadillos feed primarily on animal matter, including ants, beetles, other arthropods, small reptiles and amphibians. Birds and small mammals will also be eaten on occasion, as will carrion. The diet is complemented with fruit, berries and other vegetable matter.

Reproduction

Mating generally takes place in July or August, but implantation is delayed until November. The gestation period is about 120 days, after which a litter of four is born. All four members of the litter develop from a single egg, meaning that they will all be of the same sex and will look exactly alike. The young are born fully formed from March to April. They can walk after a few hours and begin accompanying the mother on foraging trips after a few weeks. They reach sexual maturity at about one year.

Scientific Classification

Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Vertebrata
Class Mammalia
Order Edentata
Family Dasypodidae
Subfamily Dasypodinae
Genus and Species Dasypus novemcinctus

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