Armadillo Protective Armor
The name armadillo is derived from the diminutive
of the Spanish word "armado" one that is armed. Body armor in mammals is
generally made of compressed hair, as in the plates of pangolins and the horns of the
rhinoceros,
but the armor of the armadillos is
made up of small plates of bone, each covered by a layer of horny skin and seperated from
its neighbors by soft skin from which sparse hairs grow. The back armor hangs down over
the body protecting the soft underparts and limbs. It is divided into 2 shields, one
covering the fore limbs and one the hind limbs, the two being linked across the middle of
the back by a series of transverse bands of plates that allow the armor to be flexed. The
number of transverse bands varies between species and in some they are sufficiently
flexible to allow the animal to curl up. The head is also armored and in most species the
tail is protected by a series of transverse bony rings. The softer underparts are covered
with a dense layer of hair and scattered small bony scales.
If cornered armadillos will defend themselves with their sharp
claws, but they are 
more likely to run away, some species
moving surprisingly fast! They will also attempt to burrow into the ground if they cant
find a hole. Armadillos like the pichi will draw in their feet and wedge the surrounding
armor firmly into the ground. This ruse is effective against birds and some mammals, but
not coyotes who can pierce their armor. The three-banded armadillo is more effectively
protected by its complete rolling up but large predators like the jaguar have a large
enough gape to crack its protective shell.
All over their range armadillos have been relished for their flesh and the armor can be fashioned into a basket with the tail bent under and inserted into the mouth to make the handle. As yet this persecution has had little effect of the armadillo populations.
In its movement up into the USA, the nine-banded armadillo is
increasingly meeting the hazard of cars on the road. This danger is accentuated because of
the animals habit of leaping into the air if alarmed, so that even when
straddled by the wheels of a fast moving vehicle, the upward jump of alarm results in the
armadillo crashing against the chassis.
Some species of armadillo are agricultural pests, tearing up crops just looking for some insects, but they also help us because they eat the unwanted insects. The rather rare fairy armadillo is becoming rarer because increased ploughing, due to the spread of arable land, disturbs its way of life.
