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456 Featured Specimen
Nine-banded armadillo

Details

Nine-banded armadillo

Dasypus novemcinctus

Size
35–57 cm · 2.5–6.5 kg
Diet
Omnivore
Activity
Nocturnal
Sociality
Solitary
Lifespan
7–15 years

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.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
NearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNearcticNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropical

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It inhabits Nearctic and Neotropical forests and grasslands. Soft soil, brush, woodland edges, and moist lowlands suit its digging lifestyle.

Appearance

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.

Behavior

Nocturnal and solitary, it relies heavily on smell. When threatened it may run, jump, or escape into a burrow.

Feeding

An omnivore, it eats insects, larvae, earthworms, small vertebrates, and fruit. The forefeet dig into soil to uncover hidden food.

Reproduction

It is famous for producing four genetically identical young from one fertilized egg. Young develop in a burrow before dispersing into solitary life.

Notes

It is listed as Least Concern. Road mortality is common, but the species has expanded in some warm regions.