Long-nosed armadillo, Nine-banded long-nosed armadillo, Common long-nosed armadillo
The Nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is a mammal found in North, Central, and South America. This makes it the most widespread of the armadillos. Its ancestors originated in South America and remained there until the formation of the Isthmus of Panama allowed them to enter North America as part of the Great American Interchange. The armadillo is a very good swimmer and runner, and can easily walk underwater to cross small streams.
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NocturnalNocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by being active during the night and sleeping during the day. The common adjective is "nocturnal",...
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CarnivoreA carnivore meaning 'meat eater' is an organism that derives its energy and nutrient requirements from a diet consisting mainly or exclusively of a...
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InsectivoresAn insectivore is a carnivorous plant or animal that eats insects. An alternative term is entomophage, which also refers to the human practice of e...
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MyrmecophagousMyrmecophagy is a feeding behavior defined by the consumption of termites or ants, particularly as pertaining to those animal species whose diets a...
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TerrestrialTerrestrial animals are animals that live predominantly or entirely on land (e.g., cats, ants, snails), as compared with aquatic animals, which liv...
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FossorialA fossorial animal is one adapted to digging which lives primarily but not solely, underground. Some examples are badgers, naked mole-rats, clams, ...
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TerritorialA territory is a sociographical area that which an animal consistently defends against the conspecific competition (or, occasionally, against anima...
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ViviparousAmong animals, viviparity is the development of the embryo inside the body of the parent. The term 'viviparity' and its adjective form 'viviparous'...
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BurrowingA burrow is a hole or tunnel excavated into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct ...
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PrecocialPrecocial species are those in which the young are relatively mature and mobile from the moment of birth or hatching. Precocial species are normall...
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PolygamyPolygamy is the practice of breeding with multiple partners. When a male breeds with more than one female at the same time – it is called polygyny....
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Not a migrantAnimals that do not make seasonal movements and stay in their native home ranges all year round are called not migrants or residents.
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Weird AnimalsThe Nine-banded armadillo is a medium-sized mammal covered over its whole body, and its head and tail, with an armored shell, which has horny scales and is considered by some to be unattractive. The scales are known as “scutes”. The shoulder plates and those on its rump are large. There are nine or fewer narrow, jointed armor bands that allow it to bend, located on its midsection. Its head is small and pointed, with a long snout, large pointed ears, and peg-like teeth. There are large, thick, sharp claws on its front feet that help it burrow and dig. It has soft underparts, and although covered in armor, it has a little fur. Due to the sparseness of its fur, the animal is extremely sensitive to temperature.
Nine-banded armadillos are found in North, Central, and South America. They live in pine forests, rainforests, scrublands, open prairies, or dense shady woodlands in a rainy and warm environment. They can not thrive in particularly cold or dry environments.
Nine-banded armadillos are solitary and primarily nocturnal creatures that come out to forage around dusk. They do not hibernate, though, in the northern areas of their habitation, they are more active during summer. An armadillo will mark its territory with secretions from its face, feet, and rear. Their eyesight is poor but their sense of smell is extremely good. They are extensive burrowers, with a single animal sometimes maintaining up to 12 burrows on its range. These burrows are roughly 8 in (20 cm) wide, 7 ft (2.1 m) deep, and 25 ft (7.6 m) long. When they are not foraging, armadillos shuffle along fairly slowly, stopping occasionally to sniff the air for signs of danger. If sufficiently frightened, they can jump 3-4 ft (91-122 cm) straight in the air.
Nine-banded armadillos are Carnivores (insectivores) and forage by digging with their snouts in loose soil. Their long, sticky tongue helps them grab ants, grubs, worms, and termites, wrapping them up in their tongue. They will also eat tubers, small reptiles, and amphibians.
Some studies have shown that within a given breeding season, Nine-banded armadillos are polygynous with respect to pairing. The animals become reproductively mature at about one year of age. They produce young almost every year throughout their lives. The female can give birth to as many as 56 pups over the period of her life. Breeding occurs during July and August, and the gestation period is 4 months. Usually, 4 identical babies are born, of the same gender, having developed from the same egg, and sharing the same placenta. After birth, the young remain in the burrow, living off the mother's milk for about 3 months. They have soft leathery skin which develops into armor as they grow. They then begin to forage with the mother, eventually leaving after 6 months to a year.
Nine-banded armadillos have many predators, including pumas, coyotes, maned wolves, black bears, red wolves, alligators, jaguars, and bobcats. Raptors prey on the young. Humans in many rural areas hunt armadillos for their skin and meat, and car accidents kill thousands of them each year. As they have a high reproduction rate and their numbers are currently increasing, nine-banded armadillos are not seen to be a threatened species.
The IUCN Red List and other sources don’t provide the number of the Nine-banded armadillo total population size. Currently, this species is classified as Least Concern (LC) on the IUCN Red List and its numbers today are Stable.
Nine-banded armadillos are important as predators of a range of common insects which are agricultural pests. Aside from being hunted for their meat, their skin is used to create various trinkets. These animals can damage the roots of plants. They provide shelter to shucks, rattlesnakes, burrowing owls, and cotton rats.
