#Armadillo like animals skin#
Beneath this is a shell-like skin known as an osteoderm, which is made up of bone-like tiles that can be either triangular or hexagonal.Ĭollagen fibers known as Sharpey’s fibers connect these tiles, creating a shell that combines the properties of both hard and soft tissues. The top or outer layer consists of keratin, which is the substance found in our fingernails. Like a tortoise’s shell, the armadillo’s shell is made up of two distinct layers. So what do the rest of the armadillo species do with their shells? The Structure and Purpose of the Armadillo’s Shell That’s right! Only the nine-banded armadillo curls itself into a ball, even though this is the behavior that springs to mind whenever we think of armadillos. If you’re a three-banded armadillo, you’ll spend some parts of the day and night curled into a ball, but if you belong to one of the other 20 species of armadillo, you’ll simply lug your armor around with you until you’re so exhausted that you fall into a deep sleep, lasting up to 16 hours of the day! None of the existing armadillo species are what you’d call sociable, and while the females raise their young for the first 12 months of their lives, once they’re weaned, the mothers happily return to a solitary existence. While sloths use their sharp claws for climbing, armadillos use theirs to dig burrows and forage for food.
Armadillos are related to sloths, and like their cousins, spend large portions of every 24-hour period fast asleep. What’s It Like To Be an Armadillo?īeing an armadillo means taking life slowly. We’re going to explore that topic in more detail while uncovering some other cool facts about armadillos, where they live, and how they survive. Are the benefits of wearing a permanent suit of armor sufficient to offset the negatives? They also have a habit of leaping into the air when startled, which makes them even more fun to watch.Īrmadillos are the only armored mammals in the world, and their unique appearance has baffled scientists for years. With its armored shell, long nose, and big ears, the armadillo is both comical and bizarre. If you were to hold a competition for the strangest-looking creature on earth, the armadillo would have a good chance of winning.
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