5 Fun Facts About Armadillos

1. Armadillos swallow large quantities of air to inflate themselves into a balloon-like shape and float across water bodies.
2. The three-banded armadillo is the only one of its species that can form into a complete ball. Its shell is so hard that even dogs can’t break it.
3. When startled, armadillos jump 3-4 feet vertically into the air. This is the biggest cause of fatal accidents between cars and armadillos.
4. The nine-banded armadillo becomes mother to 4 genetically-identical quadruplets each time it gives birth. Why? It produces a single egg that divides into 4 equal and completely identical parts.
5. Armadillos are the only animals other than humans which can contract leprosy.

 

Bonus:

Armadillos are a delicacy in the United States. In fact, there’s a special dish called the Hoover Hog which locals in the southern United States make, using roadkill armadillo, fresh veggies and spices.  

However, I strongly discourage you to try this dish, as it is one of the causes of leprosy transmission between armadillos and humans.

A three-banded armadillo rolling into a complete ball

Glyptodon; an extinct animal believed to be one of the ancestors of the modern-day armadillo

 

A baby armadillo being fed milk

 

Three banded armadillo

Screaming hairy armadillo

Andean hairy armadillo

 

 

 

-NISHA PRAKASH