Some people refer to the hairs as curb feelers, since armadillos can feel their way around an area at night as the hairs touch objects.Īrmadillos have very poor eyesight, and use their keen sense of smell to hunt for food.Īrmadillos have strong legs and sharp claws. In fact, only the three-banded armadillo can, curling its head and back feet and contorting its shell into a hard ball that confounds would-be predators.Īlthough most armadillo species look like they are bald, they do have wiry hairs on the sides and the belly. Their whole body (head, back, legs and tail) is covered with bony plates.Ĭontrary to popular belief, not all armadillos are able to encase themselves in their shells. The pink fairy armadillo ( Chlamyphorus truncatus) or pichiciego is the smallest species of armadillo, at 85 grams (3.0 ounces) and 13 to 15 centimeters (5.1–5.9 inches) in total length.Ĭlosely related to anteaters and sloths, armadillos generally have a pointy or shovel-shaped snout and small eyes. The giant armadillo ( Priodontes maximus) is the largest of the armadillo species and can reach up to 150 centimeters (59 inches) including tail and weigh up to 54 kilograms (119 pounds). The lifespan of an armadillo ranges from 4 to 30 years.Īrmadillos live in temperate and warm habitats, including rain forests, grasslands, and semi- deserts.Īrmadillos can be pinkish, dark-brown, black, red, gray or yellowish in color. Only one armadillo species (nine-banded armadillo) lives in North America. Armadillos are small mammals with a shell of armored plates that protect them from predators.
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