![]() When startled, an armadillo can jump straight up, as much as two or three feet.Īrmadillos are good swimmers and can hold their breath up to six minutes. The nine-banded armadillo cannot roll up into a ball.Īrmadillos can move quickly, up to 30 mph. It’s been termed the poor man’s pork.Ī good reason not to eat or touch armadillos is that they may harbor Hansen’s disease, also known as leprosy. Then, they begin to forage with the mother, eventually leaving after six months to a year.Īrmadillos live from seven to 20 years, and the females can produce up to 56 young in that time. The young remain in the burrow, nursing, for about three months. Finally, identical quadruplets are born in March. The fertilized egg splits into four identical embryos. Once the zygote implants in the uterus, a four-month gestation period begins. But the embryo remains in a dormant state for three to four months to ensure young are not born during an unfavorable time. Mama armadillos always birth identical quadruplets.īreeding occurs in July, and a single egg is fertilized. Burrows are roughly 8 inches wide, 7 feet deep, and 25 feet long. They create extensive burrows and sometimes maintain up to 12 burrows in their range. In the colder months, they may supplement their diet with small animals and eggs. Armadillos constant foraging and digging makes them unwelcome guests in yards. With their sharp claws, they dig up grubs, beetles, maggots, ants, termites, and worms. Armadillos are nearly entirely insectivores. The vertebrae are attached to the shell or carapace. The plates are formed of a type of hardened bone coated with a substance similar to human fingernails. While the underside is covered with tough skin and coarse hair but no armor. When traveling through the woods, they make a large racket for a small creature, crashing through branches and vines.Īrmadillo is a Spanish word meaning little armored one, and their unique outer shell is their most noticeable feature. Nine-banded armadillos generally weigh from 5 to 14 pounds, and their body is from 15–23 inches long, not including their 10–20 inch tail. ![]() With climate change, their territory will continue to expand. They are found in warmer climates with at least 15 inches of rain each year. The body temperature of an armadillo is lower than most mammals and they have very little fat. These animals have been sighted in at least 16 states however, they’ve become closely associated with Texas which is home to more of them than any other state. Before 1850, the armadillo was only found south of the Rio Grande river, but each year, they are moving further north. There are 21 species of armadillos, but only one, the nine-banded armadillo, is found in the United States. Notoriously short-sighted, traffic is the largest cause of death for the small armored mammal. The only place you can be guaranteed to find an armadillo is on the side of a highway. You can‘t find an armadillo when you want one. And when you find one, sometimes you wish you didn’t. You know they’re out there but not exactly sure where. But of course, moose are so common in Alaska by day three, a moose sighting was greeted with an adolescent yawn of indifference.įinding a bear is a bit more like an armadillo sighting. When I took my kids to visit my home state of Alaska, they expected to see moose and bears. After all, the armadillo has been designated the State Small Mammal of Texas.Īnd yes, there used to be a music venue in Austin named the Armadillo World Headquarters, if you’re wondering. ![]() Visitors hope to see an armadillo when visiting Texas.Įvery time a visitor arrives from out of state, they want to see an armadillo.
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