![]() A female can have up to fifty-six pups in her life.Armadillos have a very good sense of smell.Armadillos settle territorial and mating disputes by chasing and kicking each other.Armadillos, like foxes, mark their territory with urine, faeces and waste material from the scent glands that are on the feet, nose and eyelids of the armadillo.Although the armadillo is nocturnal, they will come out during the day in the colder months to gather food.For 101 facts on bighorn sheep, click here.The armadillo is mainly found in warm, rainy environments, inhabiting shady woodlands or forests.They have around 30 teeth, arranged in rows at the back of the mouth.The shell is split into three parts, scapular shield, pelvic shield and the mid-section.Nine-banded armadillos do not always have nine bands.The nine-banded armadillo is brown and gray with hairs that are a whitish yellow.Armadillos can live between four to seven years in the wild, but have been known to live up to 15 years in captivity.Mating season takes place in July, but the female becomes pregnant in December.They are excellent climbers and climb over fences but have not been known to climb trees.Armadillos sleep between 16-18 hours per day.Armadillos are solitary creatures but in the cold will huddle together in burrows.Long legs and long claws help the armadillo dig and create networks of tunnels underground.They have very sticky, long tongues that they use to find insects in the dirt.This makes it almost impossible for a predator to dislodge them. The armadillo can wedge himself into a burrow with its back shell to the outside.Their color of brownish-green helps them to camouflage themselves from predators in their grassland habitat.If you want further details on the shell of an armadillo, I have written an article you may find helpful. On top is a layer of keratin with scales underneath supported by Sharpeys fibers. Nine-banded armadillos weigh from 2.5 to 6.5 kg and are one of the largest armadillos.Armadillos also eat small amphibians and reptiles, bird eggs and baby mammals. ![]() Nine-banded armadillos are omnivores, but mainly eating grubs, beetles, ants, termites, worms and other insects.The armadillo doggy-paddles when it is swimming.Because of the difficulty with floating with a shell, the armadillo gulps air into their intestines to keep them buoyant.Armadillos can walk along the bottoms of rivers, streams and ponds.Armadillos are good swimmers and can hold their breaths up to six minutes at a time.Female armadillos can delay the gestation period of a pup for up to 18 months.Armadillos are susceptible to leprosy due to their low body temperatures.Armadillos have poor eyesight but are not blind.The nine-banded armadillo can jump 3 to 4 feet high when startled.A shell can weigh up to 15% of their total weight.The male penis is up to 60% of the body length.A man trying to shoot an armadillo in Texas had to go to hospital because the bullet bounced off the shell.The armadillo can run at speeds up to 48km/h.The armadillo gives birth to four identical pups. ![]()
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