Details
Dasypus novemcinctus
The nine-banded armadillo is an armored mammal of the Americas. At night it sniffs through soil and leaf litter for insects and other small foods.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It inhabits Nearctic and Neotropical forests and grasslands. Soft soil, brush, woodland edges, and moist lowlands suit its digging lifestyle.
Length 35-57 cm; weight 2.5-6.5 kg. Bony plates cover the back, with movable bands across the middle. A long snout, strong claws, and narrow tail complete the form.
Nocturnal and solitary, it relies heavily on smell. When threatened it may run, jump, or escape into a burrow.
An omnivore, it eats insects, larvae, earthworms, small vertebrates, and fruit. The forefeet dig into soil to uncover hidden food.
It is famous for producing four genetically identical young from one fertilized egg. Young develop in a burrow before dispersing into solitary life.
It is listed as Least Concern. Road mortality is common, but the species has expanded in some warm regions.
