Of the twenty species of armadillo that exist throughout the Americas,
the nine-banded armadillo (dasypus novemcinctus) is the only
one found in the United States. When startled, the nine-banded armadillo
can jump straight upward about three to four feet into the air.
This reflex may help scare off predators in the wild. Unfortunately,
many armadillos are killed when they jump into the underside of
moving vehicles.
Amazing Armadillo Facts...
Armadillos
can cross bodies of water in two ways. They can:
- inflate their stomachs and intestines with air and float across
the water, or,
- sink down and use their sharp claws to walk across the bottom.
They can hold their breath for six minutes or more!
The
nine-banded armadillo always gives birth to same gender quadruplets
from a single egg.
The Latin name for
the nine-banded armadillo is Dasypus novemcinctus. The word
Dasypus is derived from the Latin word for rabbit,. Novem
means nine and cinctus means band. Literally, it translates
to "nine-banded rabbit." It is said that armadillos without
their shells resemble rabbits.
Related
Web Sites |
- Armadillos
- by Suzanne J. Wilson. This article appeared in the Missouri
Conservationist March 1997 issue. It provides an introductory
discussion of the armadillo.
- Armadillos
- Jesse H. Jones Park & Nature Center provides a brief
introduction to the armadillo.
- The
Biogeography of the Nine-Banded Armadillo - San Francisco
State University's Department of Geography provides an introduction
on the topic of armadillos, complete with photos, a map,
bibliography, and related Web links.
- Dilloscape
- This Web site for the armadillo enthusiast is "the
largest compilation of armadillo info on the Web."
There are photos, introductions, related Web links, games,
and downloads. Also available is a discussion board and
armadillo store.
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Further
Reading |
- Grzimek,
Bernhard. Grzimek's animal life encyclopedia. New
York, Van Nostrnad Reinhold Co., 1972. V. 11, p. 156.
- Smith,
Larry Lane. The amazing armadillo: geography of a folk
critter. Austin, University of Texas Press, 1984. 134
p.
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For
more print resources...
Search on "armadillo"
or "nine-banded armadillo"
in the Library of Congress Online
Catalog. |
Armadillo.
Photo by Runyon, Robert, 1881-1968. From Library of Congress, American
Memory: The
South Texas Border: The Robert Runyon Photograph Collection.
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