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Nine- Banded Armadillo
Dasypus novemcinctus
29.4205, -98.4595
Field Notes
Description:
Large gray armadillo. It has a bony shell covering used for protection. This was quite a large one! After looking at the pictures a little more closely it appears this armadillo has one ear that is smaller than the other.
Habitat:
This guy was found near our school's blacktop. The school itself is located next to a somewhat open wooded area that is becoming more and more overtaken by urban sprawl. :(
Normal habitat includes wooded areas, brush, scrub, and grasslands.
Notes:
This guy surprised our class by making a daytime visit to our school! We were so excited to happen upon him. We stayed a safe distance until he was ushered toward the wooded area by our school. We had recently studied Texas symbols so it was fun that students recognized him as the Texas state small mammal!!
Fun Facts: 1. Female Nine-Banded Armadillo have one litter each year. The litter consists of identical quadruplets. 2. When startled they can jump as high as five feet. 3. They can hold their breath up to six minutes.
4. This particular species cannot roll into a ball for protection.
Ref: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/five-facts-nine-banded-armadi…
https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Mammals/Nine-B…
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