Armadillo

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For other uses, see Armadillo (disambiguation).

Armadillo
Temporal range: 58.7–0 
Ma
 Late Paleocene – Recent
From top to bottom †Glyptodon, nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), pink fairy armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus)
From top to bottom †Glyptodon, nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), pink fairy armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus)
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Superorder: Xenarthra
Order: Cingulata
Families
Nine-banded armadillo skeleton.
Three-banded armadillo skeleton on display at the Museum of Osteology

Armadillos (

placental mammals in the order Cingulata. They form part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. 21 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are distinguished by the number of bands on their armor. All species are native to the Americas
, where they inhabit a variety of different environments.

Living armadillos are characterized by a leathery

armor shell and long, sharp claws for digging. They have short legs, but can move quite quickly. The average length of an armadillo is about 75 cm (30 in), including its tail. The giant armadillo grows up to 150 cm (59 in) and weighs up to 54 kg (119 lb), while the pink fairy armadillo has a length of only 13–15 cm (5–6 in). When threatened by a predator, Tolypeutes
species frequently roll up into a ball; they are the only species of armadillo capable of this.

Recent genetic research has shown that the megafaunal glyptodonts (up to 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) tall with maximum body masses of around 2 tonnes), which became extinct around 12,000 years ago are true armadillos more closely related to all other living armadillos than to Dasypus (the long-nosed or naked-tailed armadillos). Armadillos are currently classified into two families, Dasypodidae, with Dasypus as the only living genus, and Chlamyphoridae, which contains all other living armadillos as well as the glyptodonts.[1]

Etymology

The word armadillo means "little armored one" in Spanish;[2][3] it is derived from "armadura" (armor), with the diminutive suffix "-illo" attached. While the phrase "little armored one" would translate to "armadito" normally, the suffix "-illo" can be used in place of "-ito" when the diminutive is used in an approximative tense.[4] The Aztecs called them āyōtōchtli [aːjoːˈtoːt͡ʃt͡ɬi], Nahuatl for "turtle-rabbit": āyōtl [ˈaːjoːt͡ɬ] (turtle) and tōchtli [ˈtoːt͡ʃt͡ɬi] (rabbit).[5] The Portuguese word for "armadillo" is tatu which is derived from the Tupi language[6] ta' "bark, armor" and tu "dense";[7] and used in Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Paraguay and Uruguay; similar names are also found in other, especially European, languages.

Other various vernacular names given are:

Classification

See also: List of cingulates

Family Dasypodidae

Family Chlamyphoridae

† indicates extinct taxon

Phylogeny

Below is a recent simplified phylogeny of the xenarthran families, which includes armadillos.[10][11] The dagger symbol, "†", denotes extinct groups.

Xenarthra

Evolution

Recent genetic research suggests that an extinct group of giant armored mammals, the glyptodonts, should be included within the lineage of armadillos, having diverged some 35 million years ago, more recently than previously assumed.[12]

Distribution

Like all of the Xenarthra lineages, armadillos originated in

pampatheres and chlamyphorid glyptodonts, made the same journey.)[13]

Today, all extant armadillo species are still present in South America. They are particularly diverse in Paraguay (where 11 species exist) and surrounding areas. Many species are endangered. Some, including four species of Dasypus, are widely distributed over the Americas, whereas others, such as Yepes's mulita, are restricted to small ranges. Two species, the northern naked-tailed armadillo and nine-banded armadillo, are found in Central America; the latter has also reached the United States, primarily in the south-central states (notably Texas), but with a range that extends as far east as North Carolina and Florida, and as far north as southern Nebraska and southern Indiana.[14] Their range has consistently expanded in North America over the last century due to a lack of natural predators. Armadillos are increasingly documented in southern Illinois and are tracking northwards due to climate change.[15]

Characteristics

Size

The smallest species of armadillo, the pink fairy armadillo, weighs around 85 g (3.0 oz) and is 13–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) in total length. The largest species, the giant armadillo, can weigh up to 54 kg (119 lb), and can be 150 cm (59 in) long.[16]

Diet and predation

The diets of different armadillo species vary, but consist mainly of insects, grubs, and other invertebrates. Some species, however, feed almost entirely on ants and termites.

They are prolific diggers. Many species use their sharp claws to dig for food, such as

arroyos
around which it lives and feeds.

Paws of a hairy and a giant armadillo

Armadillos have very poor eyesight, and use their keen sense of smell to hunt for food.

canines. The dentition of the nine-banded armadillo is P 7/7, M 1/1 = 32.[17]

Body temperature

In common with other xenarthrans, armadillos, in general, have low

Priodontes and Tolypeutes).[18]

Skin

The armor is formed by plates of dermal bone covered in relatively small overlapping epidermal scales called "scutes" which are composed of keratin.[19] The skin of an armadillo can glow under ultraviolet light.[20] Most species have rigid shields over the shoulders and hips, with a number of bands separated by flexible skin covering the back and flanks. Additional armor covers the top of the head, the upper parts of the limbs, and the tail. The underside of the animal is never armored and is simply covered with soft skin and fur.[21] This armor-like skin appears to be an important defense for many armadillos, although most escape predators by fleeing (often into thorny patches, from which their armor protects them) or digging to safety. Only the South American three-banded armadillos (Tolypeutes) rely heavily on their armor for protection.

Defensive behavior

When threatened by a

predator, Tolypeutes species frequently roll up into a ball. Other armadillo species cannot roll up because they have too many plates. When surprised, the North American nine-banded armadillo tends to jump straight in the air, which can lead to a fatal collision with the undercarriage or fenders of passing vehicles.[22]

Movement

Armadillos have short legs, but can move quite quickly. The nine-banded armadillo is noted for its movement through water,[23] which is accomplished via two different methods: it can walk underwater for short distances, holding its breath for as long as six minutes; or, to cross larger bodies of water, it can increase its buoyancy by swallowing air to inflate its stomach and intestines.[24]

Reproduction

monozygotic young (that is, identical quadruplets),[25] but other species may have typical litter sizes that range from one to eight. The young are born with soft, leathery skin which hardens within a few weeks. They reach sexual maturity in three to twelve months, depending on the species. Armadillos are solitary animals that do not share their burrows with other adults.[21]

Armadillos and humans

Science and education

Armadillos are often used in the study of

vector and natural reservoir for the disease in Texas, Louisiana and Florida.[29][30] Prior to the arrival of Europeans in the late 15th century, leprosy was unknown in the New World. Given that armadillos are native to the New World, at some point they must have acquired the disease from old-world humans.[27][30]

The armadillo is also a natural reservoir for Chagas disease.[31]

The nine-banded armadillo also serves science through its unusual reproductive system, in which four genetically identical offspring are born, the result of one original egg.

Mammalia, and exists only within the genus Dasypus and not in all armadillos, as is commonly believed. Other species that display this trait include parasitoid wasps, certain flatworms, and various aquatic invertebrates.[33]

Even though they have a leathery, tough shell, Armadillos, (mainly Dasypus) are common roadkill due to their habit of jumping 3–4 ft vertically when startled, which puts them into collision with the underside of vehicles.[35] Wildlife enthusiasts are using the northward march of the armadillo as an opportunity to educate others about the animals, which can be a burrowing nuisance to property owners and managers.[32]

Culture

A traditional charango made of armadillo, today superseded by wooden charangos, in Museu de la Música de Barcelona

Armadillo shells have traditionally been used to make the back of the charango, an Andean lute instrument.

In certain parts of Central and South America, armadillo meat is eaten; it is a popular ingredient in Oaxaca, Mexico. During the Great Depression, Americans were known to eat armadillo, known begrudgingly as "Hoover hogs", a nod to the belief that President Herbert Hoover was responsible for the economic despair facing the nation at that time.[36][37]

A whimsical account of The Beginning of the Armadillos is one of the chapters of Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories 1902 children's book.[38] The vocal and piano duo Flanders and Swann recorded a humorous song called "The Armadillo".[39]

Brillo
."

See also

References

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  15. ^ "Armadillos have arrived in downstate Illinois and are heading north — yes, you might someday see an armadillo in your backyard". Chicago Tribune. 14 May 2022. Archived from the original on 17 May 2022. Retrieved 17 May 2022.
  16. ^ a b "Armadillos, Armadillo Pictures, Armadillo Facts". National Geographic. 12 March 2010. Archived from the original on 6 September 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2015.
  17. ^ Freeman, Patricia W.; Genoways, Hugh H. (December 1998). "Recent Northern Records of the Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypodidae) in Nebraska". The Southwestern Naturalist. 43 (4): 491–504. Archived from the original on 11 June 2011. Retrieved 7 June 2010.
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  19. ^ Yates, Paige (30 October 2020). "Armadillo". BiologyDictionary.net. Biology Dictionary. Archived from the original on 8 September 2021. Retrieved 8 September 2021. The plates of bone are covered in small overlapping epidermal scales called scutes, which are composed of keratin.
  20. ^ Travouillon, Kenny; Cooper, Christine Elizabeth; Bouzin, Jemmy; Umbrello, Linette; Lewis, Simon; Conversation, The. "From glowing cats to wombats, fluorescent mammals are much more common than you'd think". phys.org. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
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  27. ^ a b Harris, Gardiner (27 April 2011). "Armadillos Can Transmit Leprosy to Humans, Federal Studies Confirm". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 4 May 2011. Retrieved 3 May 2011.
  28. ^ Guiden, Mary (June 2018). "New evidence that wild armadillos spread leprosy to humans". Colorado State University. Retrieved 16 November 2023.
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  38. ^ Kipling, Rudyard (1902). "The Beginning of the Armadillos". Just So Stories. Macmillan. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 6 July 2021.
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Further reading

External links

Wikiquote has quotations related to Armadillo.
Wikispecies has information related to Dasypoda.
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Armadillo (category)
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