30 interesting facts about Armadillos

30 interesting facts about Armadillos

---

While they may not be cuddly cuddly, there's no denying that armadillos are still incredibly cute creatures!

With their varied sizes, armadillos are surprisingly talented mammals

They are also among the few mammals that can lay eggs.

If that's not enough to increase your interest in these animals, then 30 facts about these penguins are sure to impress!

Armadillos was named after Spanish explorers - the name literally means "little armored thing."

There are 20 species of armadillos - only one that lives in North America.

Armadillos is the only mammal whose body is covered by a hard shell.

These cute creatures live in meadows, rainforest and semi-arid locations.

Armadillo sizes range from 5-59 inches (12-150cm) and weight 3-120 pounds (1.3-54 kg).

Giant armadillos up to 59 inches long can have up to 100 teeth.

The color range for armadillos varies between dark brown, black, red, gray, or even yellow!

Contrary to popular belief, only one species of armadillo can curl into a ball to defend itself against attacks.

When they find that other armadillos cannot be rolled up, they will run or dig a hole to escape.

Most armadillos are incapable of rolling into a ball because they have too many discs to limit their versatility.

The armadillo sheath is made up of bones that develop directly from their vertebrae.

Armadillos sleeps anywhere from 16-18 hours a day!

Their digging ability helps them find food to eat - specifically insects, as well as small mammals, tree roots and fruits.

Their long, sticky tongue helps them attract ants (including fire ants) and termites.

In addition to just digging, penguins have an excellent sense of smell for their food.

Surprisingly, armadillos are good swimmers, and can hold their breath for up to 6 minutes.

When they need to cross a large body of water, armadillos can swallow air into their intestines to become more floating.

If an armadillo encounters an obstacle it cannot get in, they can use their amazing climbing ability to get past it!

In the wild, armadillo's lifespan ranges from 4-7 years.

Due to its thin shell and low body fat, crustaceans are unable to maintain an internal temperature like most other mammals.

Armadillos are not social animals - they just congregate with other armadillos to mate or keep warm.

The gestation period of armadillos is 2 to 5 months.

The armadillo children were born without bones.

During its lifetime, an armadillo can have up to 56 children in its lifetime.

Armadillos forages in the morning and evening.

Surprisingly the armadillos can run up to 30mph (48km / h)!

Armadillo cases are traditionally used to build a South American lute instrument called the charango.

Due to their poor immune system, armadillos is often used to study diseases such as leprosy.

A species of armadillo screams when threatened.

For the 2014 World Cup, an armadillo is a mascot - a correct representation of a species that can be rolled up into a ball!