the pectoral shield, the banded shield, and the pelvic shield. The shells of Armadillos are usually made of three sections, viz. Sharpey’s fibers connect the different tiles of the shell, giving the shells properties of hard and soft tissue. The bony armor or the osteoderm is made of a top-level of keratin and beneath this layer, there are hexagonal or triangular tiles made up of bone. What is an Armadillo Shell made of?Īn Armadillo shell is primarily made up of a composition of hard mineral tiles that are basically connected by the soft non-mineralized collagen fibers or Sharpey’s fibers. Nevertheless, Armadillo shells inspired the development of materials that could offer better body armor for humans. Their shells primarily protect them from thorny shrubs, under which it seldom takes shelter in order to hide from its predator, but that doesn’t necessarily make the Armadillo bulletproof and that the shell can be broken by large animals or strongly hit by a bullet shot. No! Despite some reports of bullets ricocheting off Armadillos, and the fact that their hard shell is no doubt strong enough to protect them from dangers, they are not fully bulletproof creatures. The low metabolic rate and lack of fat stores of Armadillos make cold their enemy, and therefore intemperate or extreme weather can wipe out their whole populations. They build their burrows in moist soil near the creeks and streams and live and feed around it. The natural territory of Armadillos predominantly includes temperate and warm habitats that consist of rainforests, grasslands, semi-deserts and deserts. The majority of the Armadillo species are crepuscular, nocturnal or both, and therefore vary largely.įor example, the nine-banded Armadillos can be seen active on some cloudy days, as it is nocturnal and crepuscular, while the six-banded Armadillos are diurnal. However, they also show trends of becoming active in the middle of the day during the cold wintry seasons. What time do Armadillos feed?Īrmadillos usually tend to forage in the evenings during hot summers since they have very little hair to help them regulate their body temperature. The dietary preferences of the Southern Long-nosed Armadillo generally include crickets, ants, termites, spiders, small vertebrates, vegetation and carrion, while that of the Nine-banded Armadillo includes insects like termites, ants, earthworms, grasshoppers, centipedes, small reptiles, bird eggs, small mammals, carrions, and plant matter. Similar to their variations in size and color, the feeding habits of Armadillos tend to vary greatly too! A very small quantity of plant matter is also found in the diet of Armadillos. They are known to feed on small reptiles and amphibians, and their eggs in colder weather. Their diet primarily consists of insects like termites, beetles, cockroaches, etc. 1. What do Armadillos Eat?īeing Omnivores, their diet includes both plants and meats, where 90% of it consists of insects and larvae. This article intends to present the most fascinating, interesting, and informative knowledge relating to the Armadillo’s livelihood, nature, characteristics, eating habits, lifespan, and its difference with that of Aardvark, in the form of 15 distinctive facts. Let’s explore and discover the various trends of Armadillo’s lifestyle, and examine some of the fascinating and interesting facts regarding these creatures. These creatures are therefore highly unique, portraying distinctive and some extraordinary characteristics that no other mammals are known to show. Of all the distinct species, only the three-banded Armadillo can encase itself in its shell by curling his head and back feet. Their size and color vary greatly, from the pink fairy Armadillo being 6 inch long to the 5 foot long dark-brown Giant Armadillo. They are closely related to anteaters and sloths and generally possess a pointy or ‘shovel-shaped snout’ and small eyes with very poor vision. They belong to the order Cingulata and are the only living mammals known to wear such shells.Īll the different species of Armadillo mostly live in Latin America, except for the nine-banded Armadillo, extending its habitat and including the United States into its range. Armadillo is a Spanish word meaning “little armored one”, basically referring to the bony plates covering the back, head, legs and tail of most of these creatures.
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