I'm an Armadillo!
That means I like to run around, roll up in a ball, and ESPECIALLY HAVE FUN!
    Originally from Mexico, Texas, and parts of South America, my friends and I have been moving north in recent years, even as far as parts of Kansas!  There's a rumor that we're aiming for Lawrence, but I can't confirm anything of that nature, ....yet :)  Below you'll find a bit more information about me and the rest of my family.
(Special thanks for Quadralay and the City of Austin for some of the below info)

Armadillo Facts
Family:  Dasypodidae 
Order:  Edentata
Scientific classification: Nine-Banded (Peba)  - Dasypus novemcinctus
                                   Six-Banded                - Euphractus sexcinctus
                                   Three-Banded (Apar) - genus Tolypeutes
                                  Giant Armadillo           - Priodontes maximus
Other Names:  Varmint, Critter, Dinsdale
Close Relatives:  Sloths, anteaters
Range:  Southern U.S. and Gulf Coast, Mexico, Argentina and Uruguay
Average Weight:  7 - 9 lbs
Predators:  Bobcats, wolves, coyotes, large trucks
Diet:  fungi, fruits, tubers, termites, ants, small vertebrates, and carion.  (Personally, I prefer lots of fruits and veggies:)

 
    We Armadillos don't see well.  Which doesn't matter much, because We're nocturnal.  We don't hear well, either.  But we do have long, sharp claws, and we have been known to eat lawyers and silly new age philosophers but not telemarketers.  This was an ancient myth.  Some armadillos grow up to be telemarketers nowadays, so it just goes to show you can't judge an armadillo by it's cover! ...er, shell:)
    The peba, or nine-banded armadillo (that's me!), is found in South and Central America and in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and parts of Florida.  The six-banded armadillo; the three-banded armadillo, or apar; and the giant armadillo are among the South American species.  They vary in size from the giant armadillo, which is almost 1 m (about 3 ft) long excluding the tail, to species only about 15 cm (about 6 in) long when fully grown.
     The layer of horn (hard material derived from our hair) and bony plates that protect us against predators is formed by the ossification of the greater part of the skin.  In some of us even the tail is protected.  In most species, except the giant armadillo, the shoulders and rump are each covered by a single large shield, and the middle of the body is covered by transverse bands that are movable and articulated, so that we can contract and curl up to cover our unprotected abdomen.   Those three-banded armadillos can roll themselves into a super-tight ball.
    Despite short legs, we armadillos move relatively quickly, and with our strong feet and thick claws we can burrow with considerable speed.  Our flesh is palatable and is sometimes used for human food (AHH!  This is a good reason to become a vegetarian!  ...Save the 'Dillos!)  Fossil remains of gigantic extinct armadillos, notably the Glyptodonts, have been found in the Pleistocene rock strata of South America.  The survival of several species, including the giant and the three-banded armadillos, is now in doubt because of hunting and encroachment on habitat (again... SAVE the 'DILLOS!)


 

   AREN'T THEY CUTE????!!!! These are a few of the little ones of my neighbors down the street. We armadillos are really unusal in our way of having kids. Although breeding occurs in July, the embryo remains in a dormant state until November. Four little babies are born in a burrow in March. All four of them, always of the same sex, are identical quadruplets and developed from the same egg. They even share a single placenta while in the womb. Armadillos are the only mammals in which multiple young form from a single egg with any regularity. Wow, huh?
 
 
 
 

Armadillo Jokes
(Feel free to tell me some more)

Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?
A: To show the armadillo that it could be done.

Q: How many [your favorite group to slander] does it take to eat an armadillo?
A: Three: one to eat it, and two to watch for cars.

365 things to do with Armadillos
Top 10 reasons to love an Armadillo!
42 Anagrams you can make from "Armadillo"

Other Things that Infringe on the Armadillo's Trademark

The Armadillo Lizard
     This is little lizard, about 10 inches long, that rolls on its back and tucks its tail in its mouth when things get tough. It has hard scales and spines on its head and tail, so the idea is that it resembles an armadillo. Shaw, right....

The families Armadillididae and Armadillidae
    Now, you would think that these scientific classifications would refer to armadillos.  But no, they refer to crustaceans. Little crustaceans, like roly-polys or pill bugs or whatever you want to call them. This is taxonomy for you.  Where's the logical science there?  Call the armadillos armadillidae for crying out soft.  Oh well...

The Armadillada
    In 1588, Spain set out in a bunch of boats to attack England with armadillos... 
 
More cool Armadillo Links
 see a A reeeally big Armadillo picture.
 Austin's Armadillo Home Page
Benevolent Order of Armadillos
The Blue Armadillo ---->
Lots of other Armadillo pictures!
 
  proud member
 
 

"The Armadillo knows all, sees all and hears all. Trust No Armadillos."
-- author unknown