Wildlife W@tch :: The Fossil Rim Newsletter :: How Well Do You Know the Armadillo?

How Well Do You Know the Armadillo?

The armadillo, Dasypus novemcinctus, is certainly an animal with which we Texans are quite familiar. Of course this is usually through seeing them dead on the side of the road. (Which brings to mind my favorite chicken joke. Q. Do you know why the chicken crossed the road? A. To prove to the armadillo that it really could be done.) These odd-looking creatures average 16 inches long plus a 14-inch tail. They have a hard, bony shell covering most of the body, and ears that seem too large for their small heads. The armadillo’s range is growing and now extends well beyond its primitive range in the extreme southeastern US, Mexico and South America.

How much do you know about this strange creature?

True or False:
1.	When facing danger, the armadillo will either curl into a hard ball or quickly burrow.
2.	Female armadillos are unique in that they always give birth to four identical babies, all of the same sex.
3.	The animal’s common name is a Spanish word meaning “little armored one”.
4.	Armadillo’s teeth are peg-shaped and never stop growing.
5.	One ‘startle response’ of these unique residents is to jump into the air about 2 to 3 feet.

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