Armored Pig?
Today we're winding along a forest path lined with underbrush on both sides. The many tall pine trees that tower overhead are knocking against each other in the breeze and birdsong resounds in every direction. So let's go see who we can meet!
It’s a Nine-banded Armadillo!
Sorry, it isn’t actually an armored pig. While some early German settlers in Texas did call them that, they aren’t actually related. So, it isn’t an armored pig, but they roll into a ball for defense right?…Not quite. The nine-banded armadillo can’t roll into a ball, but its three-banded cousins can. That’s not to say that they’re defenseless though! When startled, these guys can jump around four feet high! On average, that’s roughly twice their body length. Their armor comes in handy too! When being hunted, they can dig a quick little shallow trench and squeeze themselves in where its very difficult for a predator to dislodge them thanks to their armor. It doesn’t stop there though, they have some other mind-boggling talents as well!
Nine-banded armadillos know how to get around. They are boundless burrowers, and some individuals may keep up to 12 burrows in their home range. Not only that, but a little bit of water in their territory is no biggie. Nine-banded armadillos can sink to run across riverbeds, as well as hold their breath for up to six minutes! And if they don’t want to walk? These little moving rocks can inflate their intestines to float across.
Now, when it comes to breeding, nine-banded armadillos almost always have a litter of identical quadruplets and a single female can have up to 56 offspring in her lifetime—living anywhere between 7 and 20 years. Their young aren’t born with hardened armor though, so they are very vulnerable for awhile.
Where to find:
Nine-banded armadillos are solitary and mostly nocturnal, usually coming out around dusk to start foraging. They can be found in many habitats, but can’t handle particularly cold ones, so they are found mostly in the southeastern US and the northern half of South America.
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Today's newsletter includes information referenced from iNaturalist and National Wildlife Federation