Nine -banded Armadillo
Dasypus novemcinctus
Where is it found?
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Forests, scrub forest, savannah and grassland
Diet and foraging method
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Armadillos search for prey using their long noses to reach into crevices and under logs.
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Key adaptations
Armadillos bony armour and leathery skin provides defence against predators and by having eight to ten bony bands around their middle, they remain flexible and have the ability to curl up in a ball. They have strong claws to help them dig burrows that they sleep in.
Social organisation and mating system
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Solitary foragers
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Share burrows with several other individuals of the same sex
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Polygynous
Did you know that...?
Their offspring are nearly always quadruplets (four of the same sex). They are also able to swim, and can hold their breath for up to six minutes.
Taxonomy
Picture credits:
Maps from: http://species.mol.org/species/
"Nine-banded Armadillo" by http://www.birdphotos.com - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nine-banded_Armadillo.jpg#/media/File:Nine-banded_Armadillo.jpg
"Florida-017" by Hans Stieglitz - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Florida-017.jpg#/media/File:Florida-017.jpg
"Armadillo en Montemorelos" by Ereenegee - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Armadillo_en_Montemorelos.jpg#/media/File:Armadillo_en_Montemorelos.jpg
"Nine-banded-Armadillo" by Louis Agassiz Fuertes - http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/nanntique/NG18Armadillo2.jpg?vvid=4824548&sp=1. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nine-banded-Armadillo.jpg#/media/File:Nine-banded-Armadillo.jpg
"Nine-banded Armadillo" by http://www.birdphotos.com - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nine-banded_Armadillo.jpg#/media/File:Nine-banded_Armadillo.jpg
"Florida-017" by Hans Stieglitz - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Florida-017.jpg#/media/File:Florida-017.jpg
"Armadillo en Montemorelos" by Ereenegee - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Armadillo_en_Montemorelos.jpg#/media/File:Armadillo_en_Montemorelos.jpg
"Nine-banded-Armadillo" by Louis Agassiz Fuertes - http://imagehost.vendio.com/bin/viewimage.x/00000000/nanntique/NG18Armadillo2.jpg?vvid=4824548&sp=1. Licensed under Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nine-banded-Armadillo.jpg#/media/File:Nine-banded-Armadillo.jpg
