Scientific Name: Dasypodidae
Type: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Average lifespan in captivity: 12 to 15 years
Size: 5 to 59 in (13 to 150 cm)
Weight: 3 oz to 120 lbs (85 g to 54 kg)
Protection status: Threatened
Distribution:
Of the 20 varieties of armadillo, all but one live in Latin America. The familiar nine-banded armadillo is the only species that includes the United States in its range.
Phisycal Characteristics
They vary widely in size and color, from the 6-inch-long (15-centimeter-long), salmon-colored pink fairy armadillo to the 5-foot-long (1.5-meter-long), dark-brown giant armadillos. Others have black, red, gray, or yellowish coloring.
Contrary to popular belief, not all armadillos are able to encase themselves in their shells. In fact, only the three-banded armadillo can, curling its head and back feet and contorting its shell into a hard ball that confounds would-be predators.
Habitat
Armadillos live in temperate and warm habitats, including rain forests, grasslands, and semi-deserts.
Biggest Threats
Population numbers of nearly all species are threatened by habitat loss and over-hunting. Many cultures in the Americas consume armadillo flesh, which is said to resemble pork in its flavor and texture. Currently, only the nine-band population is expanding, and some species, including the pink fairy, are threatened.
