Conquistadors who conquered Central America were the first to tell Europeans about amazing animals covered with bone armor. But the indigenous inhabitants - the Aztecs - called the armadillos “rabbit-tortoise”, apparently because the familiar nine-armored armadillo lives in burrows like a rabbit and has relatively long ears.
Why the "turtle" is also understandable. Indeed, the most characteristic feature of the appearance of these animals (there are about 20 species in total) is a shell of horn plates and continuous belts that look like a hoop. In most species, shields are also located on the tail (with the exception of the genus of the tailed armadillos, Cabassous).
Structure
The armor plates consist of a bone covered with horny matter (dense belts and shields are interconnected by elastic fabric, which ensures mobility of the entire, at first glance, bulky structure.
The hairline is developed on the abdomen and on the inner surface of the limbs. In many species, individual hairs grow between the scutes on the back. The color of the shell varies from pink (especially in young animals) to brown or gray. Such armor protects the animal from predators. However, contrary to popular belief, only two species of the genus of three-belted armadillos (Tolypeutes) are able to fold into a tight ball. The rest have too many plates and belts for this.
Habitat and habitat
Armadillos are inhabitants of open spaces (savannahs, semi-deserts), but some live in forests, can run quite quickly and even jump. As shelters use burrows. Diggers they are excellent.A good help when digging holes is four or five-fingered forelimbs with powerful, long, curved claws. The hind limbs are five-fingered. Incredibly, the beast covered with armor floats well, even overcomes wide rivers. Armadillos can increase body buoyancy by swallowing air. They can and dive - so, the nine-belted battleship can be under water for six minutes.
Armadillos are single, each settles its own site. Males carefully mark their territory, almost the same as a domestic dog or cat. Once an armadillo who lived in a zoo died from dehydration: every time after a thorough cleaning of the cell, he methylated it.
What do armadillos eat?
The diet of armadillos includes both animal and plant foods, although the main delicacy is ants and termites. Animals open insect shelters with claws, and then collect their prey with a long sticky tongue. Many species are almost omnivorous: they gladly absorb both invertebrates and small vertebrates (for example, lizards, rodents, birds), fruits, and do not disdain carrion and food waste.
Breeding
Unique among mammals is the reproduction of armadillos. The first feature is a delay in the development of the embryo, which can reach two to four months (sometimes two years). This allows the female to “guess” the moment of birth for the season with the most favorable conditions (plenty of food, suitable temperature). The second feature is that in some species (for example, nine-belted armadillos), only one egg twins are born (in other mammals,including humans, this happens as a rare exception).
The number of cubs is from one to four, but it is always either females or males. Newborn armadillos already have a soft shell of light pink color. Over time, it hardens due to the growth of bone plates. Almost nothing is known about the life expectancy of armadillos in nature. In captivity, they lived from 4 to 20 years.
Enemies of the Armadillo
Despite the presence of armor, these animals have many natural enemies: most species of wild cat and canine, crocodiles. Domestic cats and dogs can be dangerous for adults and especially young armadillos. People also prey on some species: local people eat meat, and shells are sold to tourists as souvenirs. Many armadillos perish on highways. At the end of XX century. their number has declined sharply, so 12 species are listed in the International Red Book, and the lamellar and giant armadillos are currently under threat of extinction.
On an evolutionary scale, armadillos, like the entire xenartre squad, are at the stage of gradual extinction. But there is one exception - the nine-belted battleship. Over the 20th century, this species made an amazing “march throw” to the north, beyond its original range. Back in 1880, armadillos lived on the border of the United States and Mexico, slightly north of the Rio Grande River. By 1905, they entered the western part of the US state of Texas. Since then, the range has been continuously expanding and has captured the states of Kansas and Missouri. The reasons for this expansion are still unsolved.
