At the start of the 20 th century, the nine-banded armadillo was present in Texas. All of these forms disappeared in the ice ages long before humans inhabited North America. Smaller cousins lived as far north as Canada. DistributionĪbout two million years age, a relative of the armadillo as large as a rhinoceros lived in South America. The ears are about an 1½ inches long and the snout is pig-like. The toes are spread so that a walking track looks somewhat like an opossum or raccoon. They have 4 toes on each front foot and 5 on each back foot. They are brown to yellow-brown and have a few sparse hairs on their bellies. The larger adult males weigh between 12 and 17 pounds whereas the smaller females weigh between 8 and 13 pounds. They are 24 to 32 inches long of which 9½ to 14½ inches is tail. The nine-banded armadillo is about the size of an opossum or large house cat. Many are killed while trying to cross roads or highways or when feeding along roadsides. There are no specific threats to their survival. Because they are not protected in Georgia, they can be hunted or trapped throughout the year. Georgia law prohibits keeping armadillos in captivity, however. Their common name, armadillo, is derived from a Spanish word meaning “little armored one.” StatusĪrmadillos are considered both an exotic species and a pest. The species name, novemcinctus, refers to the nine movable bands on the middle portion of their shell or carapace. The armadillo is so named because the Aztec word for armadillo meant turtle-rabbit. The genus name, Dasypus, is thought to be derived from a Greek word for hare or rabbit. Nine-banded Armadillo – Dasypus novemcinctus Order Xenarthra – Armadillos, Anteaters, and Sloths These disappeared in the ice ages long before humans inhabited North America. About two million years ago a relative of the armadillo as large as a rhinoceros lived in South America, and small cousins lived as far north as Canada. These include the giant armadillo, which can weigh up to 130 pounds, and the pink fairy armadillo, which weighs less than 4 ounces. Only one species of armadillo lives in Georgia and the southeastern United States, but 20 recognized species are found throughout Central and South America.
Armadillos are common in central and southern Georgia and are moving northward. Just like a turtle, the shell is called a carapace.
3 banded armadillo skin#
No other mammal in Georgia has bony skin plates or a “shell,” which makes the armadillo easy to identify. In fact, armadillos have small, peg-like teeth that are useful for grinding their food but of little value for capturing prey. This tells us that they have poorly developed teeth and limited mobility. " Dasypus novemcinctus (Nine-Banded Armadillo)." Animal Diversity Web.Scientists classify armadillos with anteaters and sloths. " Hibernation and Daily Torpor in an Armadillo, the Pichi ( Zaedyus pichiy)." Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A: Molecular & Integrative Physiology, vol. " On the Age of Leprosy." PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, vol. " Time Budgets of Wild Nine-Banded Armadillos." Southeastern Naturalist, vol. “ Gliptodontes y Cazadores-Recolectores De La Region Pampeana (Argentina).” Latin American Antiquity, vol.
" Mysterious Extinct Glyptodonts Are Actually Gigantic Armadillos, Says Their DNA." American Museum of Natural History. Miranda, F., et al. " Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo: Tolypeutes tricinctus." IUCN Red List, 2014, e.T21975A47443455., doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK. " Brazilian Three-Banded Armadillo." Xenarthrans. " How High Can A Nine-Banded Armadillo Jump?" The Library of Congress. " Taxonomic Revision of the Dasypus kappleri Complex, With Revalidations of Dasypus pastasae (Thomas, 1901) and Dasypus beniensis Lönnberg, 1942 (Cingulata, Dasypodidae)." Zootaxa, vol. Feijó, Anderson, and Cordeiro-Estrela, Pedro.
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