I love animals.
My too. Especially armadillos. It means little armoured one in Spanish. 
Yes they are so cute and odd looking.
Yes, they are. All species of armadillos are native to the Americas. 
Why do they have the hard shell?
More then likely because they are a decedent of an extinct group of mammals, know as glyptodants. 
When was that around?
The linage of armadillos go back some 35 million years! 
Oh wow! That is a long time. What else can you tell me?
white bristle-like hairs. The forefeet have five distinct toes, each with moderately developed claws.
Six-banded armadillos are efficient diggers and form burrows to live in and search for prey. The armadillo is alert and primarily solitary. An omnivore, it feeds on insects, ants, carrion, and plant material. Due to their poor eyesight, armadillos rely on their sense of smell to detect prey and predators. Births take place throughout the year; gestation is 60 to 64 days long, after which a litter
Armadillo
Armadillos (from Spanish "little armoured one") are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata. The Chlamyphoridae and Dasypodidae are the only surviving families in the order, which is part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. Nine extinct genera and 21 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are distinguished by the number of bands on their armour. All species are native to the Americas, where they inhabit a variety of different environments. 
Armadillos are characterized by a