Armadillos, or, as they are called in Latin America, armadillos, are also called "pocket dinosaurs". This figurative expression is justified not only by their appearance, but also by the fact that armadillos are indeed very ancient animals.

Armadillos are the surviving representatives of a once large family. These interesting animals originate from those distant times when dinosaurs lived on earth. True, since then the armadillos have become much smaller. The ancestor of this animal, the glyptodon, or giant armadillo, whose fossils are found in America, was the size of a rhinoceros, and other relatives were the size of a bull. Modern armadillos are only 135 cm long with a height of 30 cm.

Appearance

Armadillos are rather clumsy animals that have a reliable shell with several rows of strong plates. This shell is somewhat reminiscent of knightly armor. Actually for this animal and got its name - armadillo.

The appearance of armadillos may differ, but some features are characteristic of all specimens. This is a squat physique, a triangular, often elongated, muzzle with small eyes, strong short legs with powerful curved claws and, of course, the presence of a shell, which consists of separate parts and has a rather complex device. Its parts are interconnected by soft tissues, due to which it acquires mobility, and the armor is made up of horny plates densely covering its surface.

Such armor covers the back of armadillos, their limbs and tail. The parts of the body that are not protected by the shell - the stomach and the inner parts of the paws - are covered with stiff hairs. The color of the shell is different: pink, brown, gray and white. The real phenomenon of armadillos is their teeth. Not only do they all have the same structure and shape, not being divided into fangs, incisors, etc., they still grow throughout life, and most importantly, their number can vary from 10 to 100.

Habitat and lifestyle

These animals are found on the sandy plains and fields of South and Central America. Armadillos live in deep burrows, where they hide during the day and come out to hunt at night. They feed on insects and their larvae, especially indifferent to ants.

The armadillo, despite its formidable appearance, is an absolutely defenseless animal. The only salvation for him is to quickly burrow into the ground, which he actually does when danger arises.

Predators - cougars, coyotes, wolves - are happy to consider armadillos as an object of hunting, and to save their lives, carriers of armor have to use a lot of cunning tricks. Representatives of two species can curl up into a ball, completely covering all vulnerabilities with armor. Other specimens that do not have this ability try to snuggle as close to the ground as possible to protect the soft stomach, and burrow into the soil. Rumor claims that even asphalt is not an obstacle for the claws of armadillos - sensing danger, they immediately scatter asphalt crumbs to the sides and burrow into a layer of gravel.

Existing species

There are only five types of armadillos on our planet. The most famous and most common of them is the bristly armadillo. From above, it is covered with several rows of scutes, and the rest of the body is covered with thick wrinkled skin with warts. The six-banded armadillo is very similar to it. He has six belts of shields on his body. There is also a three-band armadillo. This animal has a feature - in case of danger, it curls up like a hedgehog into a ball. Such a ball can be rolled in all directions, and in order for it to open, it must be hit on the ground.

The largest is the giant armadillo. This animal is about the size of an adult boar. But the smallest armadillo - the shield-bearer, has a length of only 13 cm. The shield-bearer is a very secretive animal and even the locals know little about it. Scientists believe that the shield bearer is an intermediate link between moles and armadillos.

There is no mass hunting of the armadillo, but in some areas they are hunted for their tasty, pork-like meat. More often than from hunters, armadillos suffer when they get hit by cars on the roads.

Battleship is one of the most ancient representatives of the animal world. Zoologists consider it the most mysterious and incredible animal. Because of their large, thick shells, armadillos have long been considered relatives of turtles. However, after a series of genetic studies, they were separated into a separate species and order, which is similar to anteaters and sloths. In their historical homeland, in Latin America, animals are called "armadillo", which means pocket dinosaurs.

Origin of the species and description

Animals belong to chordate mammals. They are assigned to the armadillo squad. Scientists say that these animals appeared on earth during the existence of dinosaurs. This is approximately 50-55 million years ago. Armadillos have not changed much since those times, except for a significant decrease in size.

The ancient ancestors of this species reached a length of more than three meters. These representatives of flora and fauna managed to survive and preserve their original appearance due to the presence of a shell of dense bone plates, which reliably protected it from enemies and natural disasters.

Video: Battleship

The Aztecs, the ancient inhabitants of the American continents, called armadillos "hares-tortoises." This is due to the association with wild ones, which had the same long ears as armadillos. Another similarity between armadillos and hares is the ability to live in dug holes.

Almost all the remains of the ancient ancestors of these animals were found in South America. This gives reason to believe that this territory was the homeland and habitat of the main number of species of these animals. Over time, when both American continents were connected by a land isthmus, they migrated to North America. This is evidenced by fossil remains of a slightly later period. The remains of glyptodonts, the most ancient ancestors of armadillos, have been discovered over a large area, up to Nebraska.

In the middle of the 19th century, most of the armadillos concentrated in the south of America and lives there to this day. At the beginning of the 20th century, several individuals escaped from private owners and in the natural environment established populations in the northern and western regions of America.

Appearance and features

The peculiarity of these unique animals lies in the shell. It consists of several sections that are connected to each other: head, shoulder and pelvic. The connection is provided by an elastic fabric. Thanks to this, all departments have sufficient mobility. Also on the body there are several annular stripes covering the back and sides. In connection with the presence of such stripes, one of the species is called nine belt. Outside, the shell is covered with strips, or squares of the epidermis.

The limbs of the beast are also protected by armor. The tail section is covered with plates of bone tissue. The abdomen and the inner surface of the limbs are rather soft and sensitive skin, covered with hard hair. The hairline can even cover the skin plates located on the surface of the shell.

Animals can have a very diverse color. From dark brown to light pink. The hairline can be dark, grayish, or completely white. The armadillo, despite its small size, has a squat, elongated and very heavy body. The body length of one adult varies from 20 to 100 cm. Body weight is 50-95 kilograms.

The length of the tail part of the body is 7-45 centimeters. The muzzle of armadillos is not too large relative to the body. It can be round, elongated, or triangular in shape. The eyes are small, covered with rough, thick skin folds of the eyelids.

The limbs of animals are short, but very strong. They are designed for digging large holes. The front paws can be either three-toed or five-toed. The fingers have long, sharp and curved claws. The hind legs of the animal are five-fingered. They are used exclusively for movement through underground burrows.

Interesting fact. Armadillos are the only mammals that do not have a standard number of teeth. In different individuals, it can be from 27 to 90. Their number depends on gender, age, and species.

Teeth grow throughout life. In the oral cavity there is a long tongue covered with a viscous substance, which animals use to capture food. Armadillos have excellent hearing and sense of smell. The eyesight of these animals is poorly developed. They do not see color, they only distinguish silhouettes. Animals do not tolerate low temperatures, and the temperature of their own body depends on the ambient temperature, and can range from 37 to 31 degrees.

Where does the armadillo live?

Geographical regions of the animal's habitat:

• Central America;
• South America;
• Eastern Mexico;
• Florida;
• Georgia;
• South Carolina;
• Trinidad Island;
• Tobago Island;
• Margarita Island;
• Island of Grenada;
• Argentina;
• Chile;
• Paraguay.

Armadillos choose a subtropical, hot, dry climate as their habitat. They can live in the territory of rare forests, grassy plains, valleys of water sources, as well as areas with low vegetation. They can also inhabit shrouds, rainforest areas, and deserts.

Different types of these representatives of the animal world choose their region and habitat conditions. For example, the furry armadillo is an inhabitant of the highlands. Can climb to a height of 2000-3500 meters above sea level.

Armadillos are not embarrassed by the close proximity of a person. Ball armadillos are distinguished by a complaisant manual character. Can get used to the constant neighborhood with a person. If he also feeds him and does not show aggression, then he is able to play with him. Animals have the ability to quickly settle down and get used to a new environment when changing their place of residence.

What does an armadillo eat

When living in natural conditions, it feeds on food of both animal and vegetable origin. The main source of food that armadillos most enjoy is ants and termites. Most species of armadillos are omnivores. The nine-banded armadillo is considered insectivorous.

What is included in the diet:

• Worms;
• Ants;
• Spiders;
• frogs;
• Termites;
• scorpions;
• Larvae.

They can feed on small invertebrates such as lizards. They also do not disdain carrion, food waste, vegetables, fruits. They eat bird eggs. As plant food, it can eat succulent leaves, as well as the roots of various plant species. Often there are cases of attacks on snakes. They attack them by cutting the snake's body with the sharp tips of the scales.

Interesting fact. One adult is capable of eating up to 35,000 ants at a time.

To search for insects, animals use powerful paws with huge claws, with which they dig the ground and dig them out. When they want to eat, they move slowly with their muzzle down and turn over dry vegetation with their claws. Powerful, sharp claws allow you to disassemble dry trees, stumps and collect insects hiding there with a sticky tongue.

Interesting fact. Large, strong claws allow you to rake even asphalt.

Often, armadillos make their burrows near large anthills so that their favorite delicacy is always nearby. The nine-banded armadillo is one of those species that can even eat fire ants in large quantities. Animals are not afraid of their painful bites. They dig up anthills, eating ants and their larvae in huge quantities. In winter, with the onset of cold weather, when it is almost impossible to find insects, they switch to a plant-based diet.

Features of character and lifestyle

Animals tend to lead an active nocturnal lifestyle. Juveniles may also be active during daylight hours. With the onset of cold weather and a sharp reduction in the food supply, they can also leave their shelters during the day in search of food.

In most cases armadillos are solitary animals. In rare exceptions, they exist in pairs or as part of a small group. Most of the time they spend in burrows located underground, they come out after dark in search of food.

Each animal occupies a certain territory. Armadillos make several burrows within their range. Their number can be from 2 to 11-14. The length of each underground hole is one to three meters. In each hole, the animal spends from several days to a month in turn. Burrows are usually shallow, located horizontally on the surface of the earth. Each of them has one or two entrances. Very often, due to poor eyesight after hunting, animals cannot find the entrance to their house and make a new one. In the process of digging holes, animals protect their heads from sand. The hind limbs are not involved in burrowing.

Each animal leaves marks with a specific smell within its habitat. The secret is secreted by special glands, which are concentrated in various parts of the body. Armadillos are excellent swimmers. A large body weight and a heavy shell do not interfere during swimming, as animals inhale a large amount of air, which prevents them from sinking to the bottom.

Animals seem clumsy, clumsy and very slow. If they feel danger, they are able to instantly burrow into the ground. If the animal is frightened by something, it jumps very high up. If, when danger approaches, the armadillo does not have time to burrow into the ground, it clings to it, hiding its head, limbs and tail under the shell. This method of self-defense makes them inaccessible to attacks by predators. Also, if necessary, escape from the chase can develop a fairly high speed.

Social structure and reproduction

The period of marriage is seasonal, most often in the summer. Males take care of females for quite a long time. After mating, pregnancy occurs, which lasts 60-70 days.

Interesting fact. After the formation of the embryo in females, its development is delayed. The duration of such a delay ranges from several months to one and a half to two years.

Such a process is necessary in order for the offspring to appear during the period of the most favorable climatic conditions, which will increase the chances of survival of the cubs.

Depending on the species, one sexually mature female can give birth to from one to four to five cubs. The birth of offspring occurs no more than once a year. At the same time, a third of sexually mature females do not participate in reproduction and do not give offspring. Babies are born quite small. Each of them sees at birth and has a soft, non-keratinized shell. It is completely ossified by about six to seven months.

Interesting fact. Certain animal species, including nine-banded armadillos, are capable of producing identical twins. Regardless of the number of cubs born into the world, they will all be either females or males and develop from one egg.

A few hours after birth, they begin to walk. For one to one and a half months, the cubs feed on mother's milk. After a month, they gradually leave the burrow and join the adult food. The period of puberty for both males and females occurs upon reaching one and a half to two years.

In some cases, when the female does not have milk, and there is nothing to feed the cubs in a state of panic, she can eat her own. The average life expectancy in natural conditions is 7-13 years, in captivity it increases to 20 years.

Natural enemies of armadillos

Despite the fact that nature has awarded armadillos with reliable protection, they can become prey for larger and stronger predators. These include representatives of the family predators and canines. Armadillos can also be hunted by alligators,.

Armadillos are not afraid of being close to humans. Therefore, they are often the object of hunting for domestic cats and dogs. Humans are also the cause of the extermination of animals. He is killed in order to obtain meat and other parts of the body, from which souvenirs and jewelry are made.

The cause of human extermination is harm to livestock. Pastures pitted with burrows of armadillos are the cause of fractures of the limbs of livestock. This forces farmers to exterminate the animals. A large number of animals die under the wheels of vehicles on the highway.

Population and species status

To date, four of the six existing types of armadillos are listed in the International Red Book. Zoologists say that one of the species, the three-banded armadillo, may have already been completely exterminated. This is due to the low birth rate. A third of sexually mature females do not participate in reproduction. Some types of armadillos are capable of reproducing up to ten cubs. However, only a fraction of them survive.

For quite a long period of time, the Americans destroyed armadillos because of the tender, tasty meat. Today, in North America, their meat is still considered a great delicacy. In the 20-30s of the 20th century, they called them lambs and made meat stocks, destroying the animals. A self-defense tool in the form of a shell makes them easy prey for humans, since they do not run away, but rather simply curl up. One of the reasons for the extinction of the species is the destruction of the natural habitat, as well as deforestation.

Armadillo Guard

In order to preserve the species and increase their numbers, four of the six existing species of animals are listed in the international Red Book with the status of "endangered species". In the habitats of armadillos, their destruction is prohibited, and deforestation is also limited.

Battleship is an amazing animal that got its name in honor of the Spanish military, who were dressed in steel armor. They have the unique ability to walk underwater and hold their breath for more than seven minutes. Until now, the lifestyle and behavior of animals have not been thoroughly studied by zoologists.

There are amazing animals on our planet, the body structure and appearance of which are very different from other animals. One of these are armadillos ( Dasypodidae) - animals that are dressed in armor. They inhabited the Earth in the prehistoric past, many millions of years ago, when dinosaurs existed on the planet. Perhaps these animals have survived to this day only thanks to their impenetrable armor?

photo: flickr.com/photos/dfc_pcola/

Who is an armadillo?

Armadillo in Spanish means one who wears armor. In these bizarre animals, the entire back, head, tail and even paws are covered with a shell. At birth, the "knight's robe" in an armadillo is soft, but it quickly hardens. Despite its armor, it is easy for the beast to move, because its carapace is mobile and consists of many bone plates, which are interconnected by a strong elastic tissue. Its back is gently rounded and its legs are short and powerful, with strong toe claws. The abdomen is soft and naked. Most species have little or no hair, but one mountain species has thick hair covering its armor.

photo: flickr.com/photos/sickilla/

Armadillos - inhabitants of the jungle and steppes of South and Central America. Today they number 21 species placed in 8 genera (the 21st species of armadillo recognized by Dasypus yepesi was only described in 1995). They usually live in open areas such as the savannas and pampas, but they are also found in forests. Armadillos travel singly, in pairs, or sometimes in small groups, and may be diurnal or nocturnal.

photo: flickr.com/photos/jyrkihokkanen/ Giant armadillo

There are small ones among them, no bigger than a mouse, but there are also giant ones. The length of the head and body among armadillo species ranges from 125 to 1000 mm, and the length of the tail is from 25 to 500 mm. Giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) can weigh up to 60 kg, while the little known (Chlamyphorus truncatus), which is fully adapted to the underground lifestyle, weighs only about 100 g.

P polished armadillo

Why does an armadillo need armor?

Many animals are armed with hard claws, sharp fangs, tusks or strong horns. They use such a military arsenal both for attack and for defense against enemies. The armadillo does not need such a “weapon”, its strength lies in the invulnerability of the shell. The beast, sensing danger, instantly disappears from the eyes of the enemy. Right under the nose of a predator, in a matter of seconds, the animal, quickly working with its front paws, burrows into the ground. There is one more trick to the armadillo: he, like a hedgehog, curls up into a ball. Not a single predator is able to bite through it or turn it around. Thanks to such protection, the battleship looks like an armored tank.

What kind of housing does he have?

Using their armored head like a shovel, armadillos dig holes for themselves near streams or on the banks of rivers. Sometimes their house has such a large entrance that even a person can climb through. The armored beast lines its hole with dry leaves and grass, which it often replaces with new ones, keeping its house clean.

Armored record holder

No one on earth has such large claws as a giant armadillo. They are palm length and almost the same width. Even a lion has weaker claws! With its “hard weapon”, the armadillo breaks stone-hard termite mounds or scratches and digs up tree roots to get to its favorite treats - ants. He can easily break even an asphalt road with his claws! In addition, the giant armadillo from South America is the champion among mammals in terms of the number of teeth. An animal has about a hundred of them.

photo: flickr.com/photos/crossoverpro/

How does an armadillo look for food?

Going in search of food, the armored beast sniffs, bowing its head to the ground, and, stopping at every step, digs up worms or ants. Thanks to its sharp sense of smell, the armadillo feels insects hidden underground at a depth of 20 cm. It digs its prey with strong long claws, raking the soil under it with its muzzle. In order not to swallow the earth, the beast holds its breath for several minutes. The tongue in the armadillo is long and sticky, with which it captures food. He likes to feast on ants, termites, worms and other insects, and also eats mushrooms and tree roots. One armadillo eats about 90 kg of insects per year!

photo: flickr.com/photos/ /

Agile swimmer in armor

Despite its clumsiness and heaviness, the armadillo is a skilled swimmer who has his own special secrets. Having pumped air into the stomach and intestines, the animal easily stays on the surface of the reservoir and does not drown. In addition, he can run along the bottom of a lake or river, holding his breath for almost 6 minutes! The armadillo will hide at the bottom of the river, wait until the enemy leaves and only then crawls out of the water. Or maybe just go along the bottom from one coast to another. And while the embarrassed predator understands where the prey has gone, the armadillo is gone. Here is such an unusual animal in armor!

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Do you recognize the animal? No, this is not an artificial ball, not a coconut, and not even a prop for any movie. This is quite a modern animal.

Armadillos, or, as they are called in Latin America, armadillos, are also called “pocket dinosaurs”. This figurative expression is justified not only by their appearance, but also by the fact that armadillos are indeed very ancient animals. They appeared on Earth about 55 million years ago, and the same "armor" helped them survive, from which their name came - the shell that covers the skin of these animals. Translated from Spanish, "armadillo" means "carrying armor."

The family of armadillos belongs to the order of edentulous. Its representatives have teeth devoid of enamel and roots, incisors and fangs are absent (with the exception of some species of sloths). The structure of the teeth unites these animals into one squad.

Panochthus frenzelianus

In ancient times, there were much more edentulous than today. Some of them, such as giant sloths, or megateria, reached the size of an elephant. Mylodons were the size of a bull, and the giant armadillos were the size of a rhinoceros. All of them, like today's species, fed on foliage, bending trees to the ground. According to some reports, the ancient inhabitants of South America kept giant sloths in special pens as meat animals. Now only three families remain in the detachment: in addition to armadillos, it includes sloths and anteaters.

In most armadillos, the shell consists of separate hoop-shaped strips encircling the body from above and from the sides. In addition, the top of the head is covered with a layer of bone and keratinized plates, like a “cap”; and the whole tail is in conical shields. The stripes on the body are interconnected by a soft stretchable fabric, which allows the animals to curl up into a tight ball in case of danger, protecting the bare abdomen covered with sparse bristly hair. Sometimes the stripes grow together in the anterior and posterior parts of the body, leaving several moving strips in the middle part: according to the number of such moving strips, armadillos are called “six-banded”, “nine-banded” in bristly armadillos there are 18 such strips-girdles.

Now there are about twenty types of armadillos. These animals live in the New World, mainly in South America, and only one species is found in the south of North America. In the villages of Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Bolivia, one can see the following picture: children play football with a large and heavy ball. When the game ends, the ball suddenly turns around and minces away on short legs. This living toy is an armadillo.

The largest armadillo is gigantic, its length reaches one and a half meters or more, and its weight is sixty kilograms. It is also called "giant tattoo". He has huge powerful claws - few of the other animals have such: the length of the largest claw on the third toe of the front paw reaches 203 millimeters! With these claws, the tattoo giant easily breaks open and breaks termite mounds that are hard as stone, and tears apart tree trunks. A giant armadillo has a huge number of teeth in its mouth: from sixty-five to one hundred, among animals only dolphins have more. It is not easy for a giant to see a tattoo - he is very careful, he gets out of his underground shelter only at night.

The diet of these amazing animals is based on insects - termites and ants. In order to make it more convenient for armadillos to get their own food, nature provided them with an elongated muzzle, a sticky long tongue and paws adapted for active digging. Representatives of many species do not hesitate to diversify the menu with other types of insects, larvae, and sometimes carrion. Predatory instincts are not inherent in these animals, and even with all the desire to catch game, being clad in knightly armor, it is a hopeless occupation.

But predators - cougars, coyotes, wolves - are happy to consider armadillos as an object of hunting, and to save their lives, carriers of armor have to use many tricky tricks.

Other specimens that do not have this ability try to snuggle as close to the ground as possible to protect the soft stomach, and burrow into the soil. Rumor claims that even asphalt is not an obstacle for the claws of armadillos - sensing danger, they immediately scatter asphalt crumbs to the sides and burrow into a layer of gravel.

Another move taken by armadillos in moments of danger is to sharply straighten all four limbs and soar upward with a torpedo, suddenly jumping up and just as suddenly falling on a discouraged enemy. But the biggest luck is if the armadillo's hole is nearby. Then he forgets about all the tricks and rushes headlong to the most reliable shelter. On its territory, it is invulnerable even to a super strong enemy who managed to grab the victim by the tail: the beast rests against the walls of the hole with all paws and the edges of the shell so tightly that it cannot be removed from there without a shovel.

There are not so many of these wonderful animals left in South America: some locals believe in the magical power of the armadillo and try to kill it to make amulets out of bones.

The tiniest armadillo is the small mole, or pink, pichisiego. Its length is 15 centimeters, weight - 90 grams, this animal easily fits in the palm of your hand. It lives in dry, overgrown with cacti and thorny bushes plains of western Argentina. Pichisiego, like a mole, almost never appears from the dungeons to the surface. He has a thin pinkish shell, which grows to the body not along the entire back, but only in a narrow strip along the ridge. The sides and belly are not protected by armor, but behind the pichisiye it is securely covered with a special shield. Climbing into a hole, he plugs the entrance with it, so that it turns out a real armored door. Like other armadillos, pichisiego, escaping from pursuit, quickly burrows into the sand.

The armor of an armadillo resembles armor covering the back, sides, paws, head in front and tail on top, and only sparse coarse hair grows on the stomach. Armadillos are born with soft horn armor, but after a few weeks it hardens and forms a turtle-like shell.

It is curious that the body temperature of these animals varies greatly depending on the ambient temperature. Usually, armadillos are nocturnal: during the day they doze in their burrows, and at dusk they get to the surface and break anthills, collecting ants with a sticky tongue. They eat armadillos and other insects, as well as snails, worms, snakes, berries and roots.

Nine-banded armadillos, or tattoos, are of great interest to scientists because they are always born as same-sex twins, and their number is usually four, rarely eight, but it happens that twelve. This rare property gives geneticists and psychologists the opportunity to observe the development of identical armadillo twins in different conditions in order to understand how the same set of genes - innate properties - determines the behavior and character of a living being.

The nine-band tattoo was named for the nine transverse rings of armor, which are located between the chest and sacral shields. The shell of the tattoo, like that of other soft armadillos, is light, thin, and easily bent. Nevertheless, contrary to the legends, the nine-banded armadillo is not at all capable of defending itself from pursuers, curling up like a hedgehog into a ball, thus hiding its easily injured belly. Only two types of armadillos can fold - Laplatsky and Brazilian.

Tattoos are vulnerable to the teeth of large predators. In Mexico, Indians hunt armadillos with the help of specially trained dogs. The animal is not able to run away from a person, and even more so from a dog in the open. But as soon as the armadillo reaches the thorny thickets, its pursuit becomes useless: protected by a shell from thorns and sharp grass, the armadillo easily and quickly makes its way through any of the thickest bushes.

Mexicans count meat armadillo, similar in taste to pork, a great delicacy. Even in ancient times, the Aztecs exchanged armadillos in the bazaars for cocoa beans.

Armadillos bring significant benefits by destroying harmful insects; they spend hours digging in the ground, looking for beetles and various larvae. By the way, the tattoo has an excellent sense of smell: for example, he smells a worm twenty centimeters underground. Some armadillos are even specially tamed and kept on farms as exterminators of harmful insects. True, Mexican farmers complain that cattle sometimes cripple their legs, falling into holes dug by armadillos, and that they sometimes spoil crops, even destroy entire groves. But in general, these clumsy animals evoke the sympathy of people.

In captivity, armadillos breed poorly and rarely reach their maximum age, but in natural conditions they live up to ten years. Relatively recently, scientists have found that these animals are susceptible to some diseases that are common among people. The most serious of these is leprosy. Physicians finally have the opportunity to carefully study the terrible and ancient disease that people still suffer from and learn how to treat it more successfully.

Armadillos are excellent swimmers. When it is necessary to cross a small river or stream, the animals swallow more air, inflate their belly, and then even a heavy shell does not prevent them from swimming. In addition, armadillos can hold their breath for quite a long time - for six minutes. Therefore, sometimes they simply cross small rivers along the bottom. The ability to hold their breath helps these animals escape from enemies - they go into the water, lie down at the bottom of the reservoir or walk along the bottom and get ashore far from their pursuers.

The body of an armadillo is perfectly adapted for digging, and this is no coincidence: after all, rummaging in the ground, he gets his own food, and burrowing into the soil with lightning speed, he escapes from his pursuers. The armadillo has short strong legs with long claws, powerful muscles of the shoulder girdle, wide ribs, and a lot of blood vessels on the legs, which quickly saturate the muscles with oxygen in moments of intense digging. All this helps him to dig the earth with amazing speed. There is a known case when an armadillo, desperately working with its paws, broke through the asphalt on the road in a minute and went underground. Moreover, while quickly tearing the ground, armadillos do not breathe for several minutes, so as not to suffocate in the dust that they raise during work.

Scientists have kept armadillos at home more than once. They are easily tamed, but at night they behave like real robbers - they turn over chairs, break everything that is tucked "under the paw".

In dangerous situations, the female can artificially delay childbirth for two years. There are from 1 to 12 heirs in a litter, and in pairs nine-banded armadillos several same-sex twins are born at a time. The cubs are born sighted, the very next day they are able to move independently, but for several months they still remain in the bosom of the family, under the reliable supervision of their parents.

It was important for scientists to learn how to raise newborn armadillos in captivity in order to be able to observe the development of twins. It turned out to be difficult. The female armadillo was brought to the lab just before her babies were to be born. The cubs were born safely, but then for some reason the mother sometimes ate them, and sometimes did not want to feed them. The cubs had to be separated from their mothers.

They were placed in plastic boxes, wrapped in diapers, laid on special warming bedding. During the day, zoologists fed the babies in the laboratory, and took them home at night. Every two hours they got up at the wake of the alarm to feed the cubs. Babies could not learn to suck and swallow in any way, so it was not possible to feed them from a pacifier or pipette. I had to use a special tube for feeding, which was inserted into the tiny ventricles of small armadillos. When at least three of the four twins survive, they are still of scientific interest to researchers, if only two of the four "twins" remain, their value from a scientific point of view significantly less. If only one of the four armadillos born together remains alive, he simply turns into a funny and cute pet, but ceases to be an object of study for physicians. Recently, scientists still found a way to nurse twins.

Despite the fact that armadillos are relatively easy to keep in captivity, there is a real danger that a number of armadillo species will disappear from the face of the Earth before science has time to gather important information about them. For example, scientists know almost nothing about the way of life of a rare animal - the mole armadillo, or the Pichis Burmeister, although it was discovered more than a hundred years ago. Armadillos are persecuted for spoiling crops - in some countries there are even bonuses for their capture. This is first. Secondly, armadillo meat is eaten, and souvenirs and musical instruments are made from shells. Many species of armadillos are now under the threat of extinction - a person is stepping on nature too quickly.

On the freeways, you can often see armadillos shot down at night by cars and trucks. Moreover, animals do not die under the wheels of cars. The jump reflex kills them. Frightened by the roar of a car passing over it, the armadillo jumps high almost vertically and hits the chassis of a moving car.

Many armadillos die under the wheels of cars, some of these animals become an object of hunting because of the taste of their meat, some are destroyed by cattle breeders whose cattle break their legs on their holes, a certain number were exterminated as laboratory animals. Is it any wonder that the armored beast is becoming rarer? You look, another hundred years, and the planet will forever lose another unique inhabitant of it.

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Nature and its inhabitants amaze with their diversity and magnificence. One of the unique representatives is rightfully considered an armadillo. This is an amazing animal, the cover of which resembles real armor. Armadillo shell is so hard that it helps to escape from many dangers, including predators. Animals of this species belong to the Xenartbra family, as well as sloths.

Description

Modern armadillos grow up to 40-50 cm and weigh up to 6 kg. The tail of the animal has a length of 25 to 40 cm. The largest, they are often called giants, grow up to 1.5 m with a weight of 30-65 kg. Animals have powerful limbs, sharp claws, a shell that can be yellowish, dark brown and even pale pink. Individuals have poor eyesight, well-developed hearing and sense of smell.

Types of armadillos

There are many types of armadillos, we highlight the following:

• Nine-banded - prefer to be in forests and shrubs, grow up to 6 kg in weight. They like to dig holes near rivers and on the banks of streams. On especially hot days, animals come out only at night. They have a pointed muzzle that they protrude forward when sniffing for food. Armadillos move in zigzags, smell worms and insects at a depth of up to 20 cm.
• Seven-banded - animals that live in arid regions. They lead a terrestrial lifestyle, give birth to same-sex cubs.
• Southern long-nosed - prefer to be in open grassy areas. The maximum length to which individuals grow is 57 cm, the tail is up to 48 cm. They lead a solitary lifestyle.
• Savannah - prefer to live at an altitude of 25-200 meters above sea level. Body weight reaches 9.5 kg, length - 60 cm.
• Hairy - you can find animals in and located at an altitude of 3000 m above sea level.
• The frilled ones are one of the smallest representatives, having a body weight of 90 g. Animals are common in sandy open spaces, they are slow and helpless.
• Shield-bearing - live in arid shrub and grassy plains. Body length reaches 17 cm, tail - 3.5 cm.
• Small bristly - prefer to live on grassy plains, in hot deserts and plantations.
• Dwarf - lead a solitary lifestyle, dig holes, feed on invertebrates and insects. The maximum body length is 33 cm.

In addition to the most common types of armadillos, there are also six-banded, northern and southern bare-tailed, giant, Brazilian three-banded and other mammals.

Animal lifestyle

A large number of armadillos are nocturnal. Quite often, animals live alone, sometimes in pairs, very rarely in small groups. On the site where mammals settled, you can find from 1 to 20 dug holes. The length of the shelter can vary from 1.5 to 3 m. Burrows can have several exits.

Despite the heavy shell, armadillos swim well and dive excellently, holding their breath for a long time.

reproduction

Armadillos meet each other for sexual intercourse mainly in the summer. Before the start of the process, the males look after the chosen ones and actively pursue them. The duration of pregnancy is 60-65 days. A brood can be 1-4 cubs. Reproduction is carried out once a year.

Babies are born sighted and have a soft shell that hardens over time. For the entire first month, the cubs feed on their mother's milk, after which they get out of the hole and look for food on their own.

Video about the armadillo