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Summit to the Sea:
information for k-12 education what is an estuary? | habitat | climate | geology |
hydrology Animals and Plants: Common Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcictus)
Armadillos are unusual in many ways. They always give birth to four identical babies, or "quadruplets." Armadillos are strange swimmers. In order to stay afloat, they swallow air and fill up their stomach and intestines like balloons. This allows them to swim well. Some people have armadillos as outdoor pets. Most armadillos are tame and enjoy being petted. They help reduce pests by eating insects in the land around a house. Some armadillo owners even have armadillo races, where the owners have to crawl behind the armadillos during the race. It is very risky, however, to handle an armadillo. Armadillos have sharp claws, and if they scratch you they can give you a very bad sickness called "Leprosy." Leprosy is a dangerous bacterium that can live on the claws of armadillos. Humans with leprosy may suffer serious skin and tissue damage, and sometimes even their noses rot off. |
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Armadillos are unusual animals. A "shell" covers their small bodies. They are not truly covered by a shell, but by small, 6-sided bony plates all over their body. Small areas of the skin become bony, and soft areas of skin separate the bony areas. These soft areas of skin and the many sided platelets allow armadillos to bend and move freely. Armadillos weigh 4-8 kg (9-17.5 lb), and they are about the size of a small dog. Armadillos are not native to the North American Continent. There are so many Armadillos along the coast and in South Georgia that they seem a natural part of the landscape.
