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Armadillo
Dasypus novemcinctus
33.085, -97.0685
Field Notes
Description:
The Nine-Banded Armadillo has a type of armor that covers the body. However, the underside of the body doesn’t have such protection. While most of them do have 9 bands of that armor, some have more or less depending on location.
Their skin is tough and they have course hair. On their middle toes they have very long claws that allow them to dig with ease. They have very small teeth.
Habitat:
Wildlife habitat yard adjacent to greenbelt.
I heard it rustling around in the leaves under the deck and waited quietly to see what would happen. Slowly it worked its way out, then snuffled around, digging at the base of a rock near the deck. It never noticed me as I took the photos from right above it. When it finished around the rock, it made its way to the fence and poked around until it found a way back under it. The last I saw of it, it was loping up the hill on the otherside of the greenbelt. It moved with surprising speed.
Notes:
Their penchant for digging has caused the armadillo to be considered destructive and a pest by humans. On the contrary, armadillos frequently consume the insects that cause the most damage to crops and lawns
Fun Armadillo Facts
- The armadillo is the state small mammal of Texas.
- Armadillo comes from the Spanish, meaning “little armored one.”
- Armadillos are one of the few animals who consume fire ants as part of their diet. Such an ability can make armadillos very beneficial to humans.
- Besides being excellent diggers, armadillos are also good swimmers. Armadillos can hold their breath for up to 6 minutes.
- Armadillos have poor eyesight and so can be easily startled while foraging.
- If they can’t dig under it, armadillos will climb over it and are quite capable of scaling fences and trees.
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