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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing armadillos. Don’t forget to subscribe to keep up to date on new episodes! Thank you to Nathaniel Mauro and Felis for today’s request. Armadillo means “little armored one” in Spani-- wait… does that mean we’ve been saying it wrong this whole time? Is it supposed to be arm-a-dee-yo???

There are 21 species of armadillos, and they are all found in the Americas with only one species occurring in the United States. Armadillos are pretty recognizable because they’re some of the only mammals with armor plates. This armor is great for defense, but you might be surprised to learn that not all armadillos can curl up into a ball like they often do in cartoons. Only three-banded armadillos are able to fully curl up into a ball, the others usually just lay on the ground so their soft parts aren’t accessible, or they run away, or they scream, or they jump. Yeah, apparently nine-banded armadillos can actually fling themselves into the air in an effort to escape predators, or at least shock them into a stupor. I mean can you imagine seeing this thing jump four feet (1.22 meters) into the air?! The kinds of predators armadillos face include wild cats, domestic dogs, birds of prey, and humans. Armadillos are considered pests by many due to their digging behavior while foraging for food.

The main diet of most armadillos is insects. When they aren’t eating bugs, they will occasionally eat fruit, seeds, and carrion. Some armadillo species, such as the giant armadillo, the largest armadillos living today, will dig up ant nests. It makes sense because armadillos are related to anteaters. The smallest armadillos are pink fairy armadillos which barely reach half a foot (15.24 centimeters) in length! While they might look adorable, it’s generally recommended not to handle wild armadillos in any capacity because they are carriers of leprosy. To be fair, the chance of catching this disease from an armadillo is rather slim, but, hey, better safe than sorry!

Armadillos enjoy a variety of habitats. Some species like rainforests while others live in dry, desert-like areas; they can also be found in grasslands and wetlands. The biggest factor that inhibits an armadillo from occupying any given area has to do with temperature. Armadillos can’t handle cold weather because their bodies don’t store fat the way a human’s might. They’ll actually change their activity throughout the year depending on the temperature. Where in warmer summer months they might be more nocturnal by avoiding the heat of the day but enjoying the warm nights, in the winter they may come out only during the warmer parts of the day while the sun is heating the world. Armadillos will even band together for warmth in underground burrows if the need arises.

When armadillos mate, which can happen all throughout the year depending on the species, the couple will part ways shortly after, and the female will raise the pups on her own. She may have anywhere from 1-12 pups in an underground burrow. They will nurse for up to four months and reach maturity by one year of age. Some armadillos, like fairy armadillos, only live a few years, but others, such as three-banded armadillos, can live to be fifteen or older!

Armadillos are the state animal of Texas, and they’ve been a curiosity to humans since our awareness of them. It’s been said that an armadillo without its shell looks like a rabbit. I can kind of see the resemblance. There’s even a myth that the first two armadillos were born from the alliance of a hedgehog and a turtle. What do you think of these armored mammals?

For more facts on armadillos, check out the links in the description. Thank you for watching, and be sure to give a thumbs up for more Animal Fact Files!