Armadillos are cool. They have natural armor from many years of evolution.
They sure do, even their name, "little armored one," agrees with you. They're everywhere on Texas roads!
Armadillo
Don't call me names! The number of bands on their armor is generally accepted to mean how many victims they've crossed off their list...
That's interesting. Since their name is Spanish, I wonder if they're often found in Mexico and other Spanish speaking areas?
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
Tolypeutes
The genus Tolypeutes contains the two species of three-banded armadillos. They are restricted to open and semi-open habitats in South America.
Of the several armadillo genera, only "Tolypeutes" rely heavily on their armor for protection. When threatened by a predator, "Tolypeutes" species frequently roll up into a ball. Other armadillo species cannot roll up because they have too many plates.
Species.
There are two recognized species:
References.
- http://www.msu.edu/~nixonjos/armadillo/tolypeutes.html
- http://www.thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Xenarthra/Dasypodidae/Tolypeutes/index.html
External