Little armored one

I have been wondering about these little guys: The Armadillo. The name is spanish for "Little Amored one". We don't have them in Germany, but I know of them from nature films in which we call them "Guerteltier" = Belt Animal (because it looks like it has many belts on). I see them every day while trail riding. They are so cute in the grass and act like they don't see you. So, I researched them. I actually thought they are in the pig family because of the little nose that digs in the dirt. But I found out that they are actually in the family of the extinct Glyptodonts:

They supposedly went extinct before the Ice Age.

Those ugly things are definitely not in the pig family. I watched the little Armadillo dig in the dirt looking for food and he was kicking up the dirt, which looked quite clumsy,but cute. My horse, King, and I were loping by and that little fellow on the ground scared King - of course. He arched his neck and shied to the side. But then we just watched how the Armadillo did his little thing, entirely oblivious to our presence. I would have like to touch it, but I also found out during my research that they are susceptible to the leprosy bacterium due to their low body temperature. So, don't touch them, even if tempting!

Another interesting fact is that it also serves science through its unusual reproductive system, in which four genetically identical quadruplets are born in each litter. That's unique.

Lastly, we know them best from the "road kill": Armadillos make common roadkill due to their habit of jumping to about fender height when startled (such as by an oncoming car).

That was your weekly Biology lesson. Feel free to request other animals for review.