The armadillo, a small mammal, is fertilized internally and gives birth to live babies.
The armadillo (pronounced: qiú yú), also known as the "armored rat", is the mascot of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. The armadillo is an endangered species that lives in the interior of Brazil. There are 9 genera and 21 species in the Armadillo family (1 genus and 1 species are extinct): Naked-tailed Armadillo, Round-headed Armadillo, Hairy Armadillo, Japanese Armadillo, Armadillo, Banded armadillo, giant armadillo, three-banded armadillo, small armadillo. The armadillo's armor is made up of many small bone fragments, and each bone fragment has a layer of horny substance on it, which is extremely hard. Whenever it encounters danger, if it is too late to escape or get into a hole, the armadillo will curl its body into a ball to protect itself (only the Lahe three-banded armadillo and the Brazilian three-banded armadillo of the genus Three-banded Armadillo Able to curl the body into a complete sphere). Although the entire body of armadillos is covered in hard armor, this does not prevent them from normal activities or even running fast. In armadillos, only the bony scales on the shoulders and hips are integrated into a whole, like a turtle shell, and cannot stretch; while the scales on the chest and back are divided into flaps, connected by muscles, and can stretch freely. At the end of April 2011, American researchers said that the first leprosy patient in the United States may have been infected by an armadillo.
The Latin name of the pink-haired armadillo is Chlamyphorus truncatus; the Latin name of the three-banded armadillo is Tolypeutes tricinctus; the Latin name of the nine-banded armadillo is Dasypus novemcinctus. [1]
Chinese scientific name Armadillo
Latin scientific name Priodontes maximus or P. giganteus
Phylum Chordata
Subphylum Subphylum Vertebrates
Class Mammalia
Subclass Theria
Order Archa
Family Armadilloidae
p>Subfamilies Armadilloinae, Bonoarmadilloinae, Three-banded Armadilloinae
Distribution area: America
Contents
1 Appearance characteristics
2 Distribution range
3 Living habits
4 Survivability
5 Species classification
6 Other related main evaluation species, related legends, suspected diseases, animal images
1 Appearance characteristics
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The armadillo, a small mammal, is related to the anteater The beast is closely related to the sloth and protects itself with armor-like bone armor. In most species of armadillo
Aradillo (20 photos)
Aradillo, bony armor covers the head, body, tail and outside of the legs; this layer of bony armor goes deep into the skin. Covered by thin keratinous tissue. The bony nails of the head, front and back halves are separate. The bony nails in the middle of the body are band-shaped and can be flexibly moved. There is sparse hair on the body where there is no bone plate. Armadillos have small ears and long pointed beaks. There are powerful claws on the front feet for digging holes.
The giant armadillo is about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long, including a 20-inch (50-centimeter) tail. It can sit on its butt using its tail as support. The pink fairy armadillo, or pichiciego, is the smallest species of armadillo. About 6 inches (15 cm) long, pinkish white. Its armor differs from other breeds in that it only covers the top of its head and torso. The three-banded armadillo can roll itself into a ball to protect itself. The nine-banded armadillo is the only species found in the United States, primarily from North Carolina to Texas. Approximately 30 inches (75cm) long. Females usually give birth to identical quadruplets every spring. [1]
The most obvious structural feature is the jointed nails. The scales are made of bone and are covered with horny epidermis. The scales on the body come in various shapes
nine-banded armadillos
but usually consist of a head shield and a series of protective shields around the neck and most of the body.
There is sparse hair on the soft skin between the abdomen and limb scutes. Some species can curl up to protect vulnerable limbs and abdomen. The giant armadillo is the largest species, weighing up to 60 kilograms, and the smallest, the small armadillo, weighs only 120 grams. The skull is long and dorsoventrally flat. Teeth are partially lost with age. All armadillos have strong limbs, with large front and rear feet with blunt claws. Except for Zhixu, the front and rear feet have five toes, and the hind feet are often ambulatory. [2]
2 Distribution range
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This is the family with the largest number and widest distribution of Lenodontida. Including 8 genera and 20 species. Distributed in tropical forests, grasslands, semi-deserts and warm plains and forests in Central and South America.
Aradillo (5 photos)
[2] It has also been seen in southern Africa (Botswana).
They inhabit grasslands and forests from southern Argentina to the southern United States. [1]
3 Living habits
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Most species of armadillos live in caves during the day and come out to look for food at night. They eat termites, ants, snakes, carrion and plants. [1]
Compared with other species of the order Lepidodontida, the feeding habits and locomotion of armadillos have no more striking specializations. Most species feed primarily on insects, but also eat invertebrates and small vertebrates, as well as plant foods. [2]
Body
Aradillo
Length 12.5-100 cm, tail length 2.5-50 cm, weight up to 50 kg or more; two upper body parts The sides and outside of the four limbs are often covered with bone plates and scales, forming an armor that protects the body. This armor is divided into front and rear parts by several rows of movable horizontal straps. The horizontal straps are connected by elastic skin, which can curl the body into It is globular to defend against natural enemies; its ears are small; its tongue can be retracted; its forelimbs have 3 to 5 digits with strong and curved claws; its hind limbs have 5 toes and are clawed; its teeth are small and nail-shaped and grow throughout its life.
The most obvious feature that distinguishes the armadillo from other animals is its scaly armor. It was because of this armor that it was dubbed the "armored pig" by the Spanish conquistadors. When the Spanish were ravaging Central America, they often saw Aztec vendors selling armadillo meat in exchange for cocoa beans at village markets. They also noted that the armadillo meat was "very tasty and tasty."
People still hunt armadillos, eat their meat, and make baskets from their skins, but armadillos are mainly used as scientific research objects to study genetics and embryology. Scientists may prove that armadillos could play an important role in efforts to eradicate leprosy.
The armadillo is a rare animal endemic to South and Central America. It mainly inhabits woods, grasslands and desert areas.
Aradillos are foraging
They can breed at any time of the year and give birth to four offspring in each litter. Nine-banded armadillos are good burrowers and can disappear into hard soil within two minutes. Most armadillos live in caves and come out at night. Although armadillos look mighty, they are timid by nature and will attack their natural enemies when encountering them. It crawls into the hole, and if it's too late, it rolls up into a ball and protects its body with hard scales.
The armadillo is a unique product of the Southern New World. It is very unique in appearance. It is a cave-dwelling animal that burrows underground to live and hide during the day and emerge at night.
Aradillos are ground-dwelling and nocturnal animals. They are omnivorous and eat beetles, worms, termites, black ants, locusts, small lizards, bird eggs, nuts and other food. Snakes etc. What’s even more interesting is that armadillos especially like to eat rotting animal carcasses. Wherever there are dead cows, dead horses and other rotting carcasses of animals on the grassland, there are armadillos digging holes, and they can easily obtain these foods.
During the day, armadillos hide in naturally formed caves or self-dug caves. The caves are narrow, circular in cross-section, about 8 to 10 inches in diameter, and sometimes up to 25 inches long. Usually a crypt has several branches, one of which terminates in a lair. The inside of the nest is lined with soft leaves and hay. A capable armadillo can dig several burrows, each with several exits. These holes are hidden among tree roots, in hollow tree trunks, or at the foot of embankments.
When insect food is in short supply, armadillos will increase their foraging time and even go out during the day. [3]
Nighttime pictures of armadillos
Male and female armadillos generally occupy different territories. When mating season arrives in late summer, male armadillos set off in search of female mates. After mating, they go their separate ways again. Armadillos have a unique physiological function during pregnancy.
A fertilized egg will soon divide into two separate cells, and then into four separate cells. The four fertilized eggs have exactly the same chromosomal structure. This division then stops and they "swim" in the fallopian tubes for about a month and enter the uterus. Generally, baby armadillos born in the same litter have the same sex. This phenomenon gives scientists the opportunity to study how the same set of genes affects the growth and development of an animal's offspring.
Baby armadillos are born after March or April every year, when insect food is plentiful. At birth, an armadillo baby's physical development is nearly complete. Except for body size, they are almost identical to adult armadillos in all aspects. Their armor is soft and easy to bend. As you age, armor becomes harder. A few hours after birth, the baby armadillos can already follow their mother to forage at night. After two months, the baby armadillos will be weaned and go out to find their own territories. Baby armadillos mature in two to three years, and unless accidents occur, their lifespan is generally 10 to 15 years. [3]
4 Survivability
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For
armadillo
In order to survive, armadillo In addition to the armor on its body to defend against enemies, it also has beneficial habits such as being omnivorous, nocturnal, and able to inhabit natural caves formed in nature. The habitat can be dense bush, grassland, moorland, and there is usually a shallow pond or mud pit for bathing.
While crawling, armadillos can climb over electric fences and wade through shallow water. If the river is narrow, the armadillo takes a deep breath, dives into the water, and climbs up from the bottom to the other side. If the river is wide, it sucks in air, fills its stomach, and swims across.
Aradillos will die young due to predation by various predators. These predators include dogs, bobcats, bears, and coyotes. When threatened, armadillos will run toward nearby trees, using dense branches as a barrier or forming a tight ball. If given a minute or two to evade, it will quickly carve out a burrow that can wrap tightly around its body, making it almost impossible for an attacker to pull it out.
However, the armadillo’s biggest natural enemies are people and vehicles. It is naturally short-sighted and has the habit of going to the road to look for dead prey, so it often appears on the road. The situation is made worse by the "natural startle response" that armadillos have. When frightened, the armadillo jumped upwards and hit the lower part of a passing vehicle.
Close-up photo of armadillo
Defense characteristics
According to research by zoologists, the armadillo is one of the animals with the most complete natural defense capabilities among mammals. Its defense methods can be summarized as: "one escape, two blockade, and three disguise".
The so-called "escape" means that the speed of escape is quite amazing. When it is in danger, it can hide its body in the sand at an extremely fast speed. Despite its short legs, it has a strong ability to dig holes in the soil. It digs holes very quickly. You can see it while riding a horse, but the moment you dismount, it has already burrowed into the soil.
The so-called "blocking" means that after it escapes into the soil hole, it tightly blocks the entrance of the hole with the armadillo's tail shield, just like a "shield" so that enemies cannot harm it.
The so-called "camouflage" is the curling method mentioned above. The whole body is curled up into a ball shape, and the body is surrounded by "iron armor" from all directions, making it impossible for enemies to bite it. [3]
5 species classification
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Aradillo
Close photo of Armadillo
Aradillo is a southern A rare animal endemic to America and Central America, it mainly inhabits woods, grasslands and desert areas. The Armadillo family includes three families, leaving only one family, Armadilloidae. There are 9 genera and 21 species of armadillos (1 genus and 1 species are extinct). Zoologists divide this huge family of animals into the following categories based on the number of scale rings: three-trip armadillos, six-trip armadillos, and nine-trip armadillos. For example, those with three scales are called three-trip armadillos. In addition, there are armored moles, naked-tailed armadillos, South American little armadillos, and hairy armadillos. Among them is the king armadillo (also known as the giant armadillo), with a body length of up to 90cm and a tail length of 50cm. It is almost as big as half a pig and is the largest of the armadillos. [4]
6 Other related
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Main comments
Aradillo
Hairy Armadillo< /p>
The scorpion is a beneficial beast, eating large numbers of termites, fire ants, cane borers, scorpions, root cutters and other pests. But on the other hand it can also become a pest. When insect food is scarce, armadillos turn to farmland.
It can cause severe damage to crops such as peanuts, corn and melons. From an ecological perspective, armadillo burrows also provide ideal burrows for burrowing owls, rabbits, possums, and even nosed rats. But armadillo burrows also compromise the safety of embankments and roadbeds, and often cause passing livestock to break their legs. The delicious taste of armadillo meat has long made it a target of hunters. It is said that after roasting, it has a umami flavor that is better than pork. Even today, this "poor man's pork" occasionally appears on rural family tables. In addition, in areas where this animal lives, armadillo skins are also made into baskets or strings for musical instruments like guitars. However, the strong musky smell of armadillos is a pollution to the home environment. Eletano Stowers, a biochemist at the New Iberian Gulf South Research Institute in Louisiana, discovered that armadillos are highly susceptible to leprosy and are natural cultures of the disease. Largely as a result of her work and funding from national health organizations, armadillo parasitism centers were established in large numbers throughout North and South America and Europe, serving as a cheap source of leprosy bacteria. This creates good conditions for promoting the production of more effective vaccines. Inspired by the correlation between leprosy and AIDS, scientists are conducting research to find out whether armadillos can be used as experimental vehicles to help explore the cause and treatment of AIDS. Perhaps one day, this strange-looking armadillo will play a key role in treating both "chronic illnesses" and "new diseases" in humans.
Species Talk
Aradillo
Appreciation of Armadillo Pictures (5 photos)
Aradillo is also called "armored rat" because of its The body and shape look like a big rat wearing armor. The armadillo's armor is made up of many small bone fragments; each bone fragment has a layer of horny substance on it, which is extremely hard. Therefore, this armor became their best self-defense weapon. Whenever it encounters danger, if it is too late to escape or get into a hole, the armadillo will curl its body into a ball to protect itself. Although the entire body of armadillos is covered with hard armor, this does not prevent them from normal activities or even running fast. It turns out that only the bony scales on the armadillo's shoulders and hips are integrated into a whole, like a turtle shell, and cannot stretch; while the scales on the chest and back are divided into flaps, connected by muscles, and can stretch freely.
In addition to armor, another self-defense technique used by armadillos is to dig holes. Armadillos are extremely capable of digging holes, thanks to their strong claws. In the forest, you can often see large and small armadillo caves. It is easy to judge whether the animals are living inside based on the condition of the soil at the cave entrance. Armadillo burrows seem to be mostly found in relatively gentle areas of the forest, but there are also armadillos that make their homes in special locations. The ecological station relies on a generator to provide energy. The generator makes a lot of noise when working, so it is placed behind a huge rock in the opposite direction to the ecological station. I don’t know when later, an armadillo also took a fancy to this "feng shui treasure land", dug a hole under the wooden board supporting the generator, entered the rock, and lived a small life there calmly despite the smell of diesel and the noise of the motor. .
However, one day, the armadillo's peaceful life was broken. One night, the roar of a jaguar suddenly came from the direction of the generator. Everyone in the ecological station who heard the roar was surprised: something special must have happened, because jaguars don't roar easily. Early the next morning, everyone ran over and took a look. They saw the generator lying upside down a few meters away, and the wooden boards had changed positions in various directions. Everyone speculates that the jaguar may have followed the armadillo here. The former entered the hole, and the latter was unwilling to accept or was angry at these obstacles and took "destructive" actions. However, the jaguar will never miss it every time. I once picked up a fresh piece of armadillo armor by the river. There was a pool of blood nearby and several jaguar footprints were clearly imprinted.
I once played tricks on an armadillo under a rock next to a generator. During the day, while the armadillo was sleeping in the cave, I placed a trapping cage at the entrance of the cave where it entered and exited, and then tightly blocked both sides with an iron tube filled with diesel fuel. This kind of cage has openings on both sides. Once the animal walks in and touches the pedal, the trap doors at both ends will be closed at the same time and stuck tightly. When I went to check early the next morning, I found that the cage was closed, but the armadillo was not in it. I reinstalled the cage. I looked at it the third morning and it was still the same. In this way, four days and nights passed, and I made a compromise because I really didn't want this innocent creature to die from my prank.
Aradillos are nocturnal, so they are generally not easy to see. I only had a "first-hand acquaintance" with armadillos in the forest.
One night, I got up sleepily and took a dim headlamp to the edge of the forest for "convenience". As soon as I walked into the small intersection, I noticed a shadow shaking in front of my eyes. I was completely frightened and woke up. When I took a closer look, it turned out to be a large armadillo, which was slowly sniffing and licking on the ground with its snout and snout. I was pleasantly surprised and amused, and I was about to take a closer look. Unexpectedly, the armadillo also suddenly noticed me. It raised its body with a swish, and half crouched and half sat with its two front paws facing me. Theoretically, armadillos will not attack people, but who knows if this monster will suddenly have the idea of ????destroying everything. I stood frozen and remained motionless, shining the dim light on the armadillo's pointed head, really not hoping to start a hand-to-hand fight between man and beast. I don’t know how long it took, maybe it was only a minute or two in fact, but the armadillo couldn’t stand it anymore and suddenly turned around and went into the forest.