Armadillo Fun Facts by Cate Tolnai https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts Leave a fun fact about armadillos here for all of us to learn more about our MERIT21 mascot, Armando! en-us 2021-06-10 18:47:21 UTC 2025-11-24 10:28:46 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-uploads.storage.googleapis.com/958070747/8b21b25f56357eed2ec143b4df68e444/Untitled_design__9_.png Miriam Singer https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1606328423 Armadillos are the only other species on the planet (along with humans) that can catch leprosy.
(source: https://www.folly-farm.co.uk/zoo/meet-the-zoo-animals/six-banded-armadillo/)

]]> 2021-06-15 00:57:42 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1606328423 Pink Fairy Armadillo kristinoropeza https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1606360913 The smallest species of armadillo is the pink fairy armadillo - only 5-6" long and less than 1 lb in weight. (Source: https://www.havahart.com/armadillo-facts) ]]> 2021-06-15 01:13:57 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1606360913 Terence Lien https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1606456023 The Nine-banded armadillo (the only one of the 20 species of armadillo that have expanded out of Latin America) is the official state small mammal of Texas, nicknamed the ‘hillbilly speed bump’ as they are hit on the roads so often. During the 1920s depression, the Nine-banded armadillo was eaten, referred to as the ‘Hoover Hog’ as a result of President Hoovers failure to keep meat on the tables.
(source: https://onekindplanet.org/animal/armadillo/)

]]> 2021-06-15 02:02:01 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1606456023 https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1612889722 The Armadillo name comes from the Spanish “armado” which means “armoured”.

]]> 2021-06-17 18:53:44 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1612889722 Sleepy little guys https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1616070838 They Sleep Up to 16 Hours Each Day!

"As nocturnal animals, armadillos perform most activities — foraging, eating, burrowing, mating — at night. During the daylight hours, they spend up to 16 hours sleeping, usually in burrows. Armadillos rarely share their burrows with other armadillos, although they do share them with tortoises, snakes, and rats."

(Fact shared by Stacy at 3:52am because I do NOT sleep as much as an armadillo and I am VERY jealous.)
]]> 2021-06-20 10:50:51 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1616070838 Buoyant like a beach ball cdegregorio https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1618643607 According to onekindplanet.org, "Armadillos can swim well but, due to their heavy shell, they have to swallow air to inflate their stomach to give them buoyancy."]]> 2021-06-22 01:31:02 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1618643607 Armored Amphibians https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1626012692 Amidillos swim and are able to hold their breath for six minutes.--- Robert De La Rosa http://wideopencountry.com]]> 2021-06-25 23:54:39 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1626012692 Ohhhh That Smelll..... dawnryce https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1631388826
  • With very poor eyesight and hearing, armadillos rely on their strong sense of smell to hunt. They can smell things which are up to 20cm below the ground! They also have long straggly fur on their underside to allow them to feel what they are walking over, used similarly to a cat’s whiskers." https://onekindplanet.org/animal/armadillo/


    • ]]>     2021-06-30 07:40:46 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1631388826     https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1637601480 German settlers in Texas called armadillos “Panzerschwein”, which means “tank pig” a. I think that’s awesome]]> 2021-07-05 17:34:01 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1637601480 Chrissy Dobbins Ms_Dobbins https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1637827593 The Three Banded Armadillo is the only specie of armadillo that is able to curl into a ball to protect itself from predators. Most species of armadillos dig a hole to protect their stomach, leaving only their hard shell exposed. https://www.livescience.com/52390-armadillos.html ]]> 2021-07-05 23:11:44 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1637827593 I Scream, You Scream, Armadillos Scream maybe for Ice Cream (and/or danger)! andrea_wilson3 https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1639332045 According to Treehugger.com, the screaming hairy armadillo (Chaetophractus vellerosus) has a second means of self defense… it screams. Check out this little cutie: Screaming Hairy Armadillo]]> 2021-07-06 23:02:31 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1639332045 Are Armadillos bulletproof??? https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1640637192 NO.
    Despite reports of bullets ricocheting off armadillos, these creatures aren't bulletproof. Their shells are made of bony plates called osteoderms that grow in the skin. ... “The shell protects the armadillos from thorny shrubs, under which they can hide from predators,” she says.]]>     2021-07-07 16:58:59 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1640637192     Emily Hoang https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1640951246 "When armadillos feel threatened they tend to run away into their burrows or into thorny vegetation where their armour protects them and predators cannot follow. Some species will jump 3-4ft in the air when they are surprised." 

    Source: https://onekindplanet.org/animal/armadillo/

    ]]>     2021-07-07 23:48:56 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1640951246     Armadillos are Good Swimmers anthonyalvarado6 https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1640958457 Armadillos are good swimmers and can hold their breath for 4-6 minutes. They walk underwater across the bottom of streams. When facing larger bodies of water, they gulp air to create buoyancy and then dog paddle. This ability to swim allowed them to expand their range. Armadillos crossing the Rio Grande led to the nine-banded armadillo expanding across the United States during the 20th century.

    https://www.treehugger.com/things-you-didnt-know-about-armadillos-4869732]]>     2021-07-07 23:56:21 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1640958457     Emily Tsay- Armadillos can put their pregnancies on hold https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1644273881 Nine-banded armadillos can put their pregnancies on hold. Like several other types of mammals, including bears and badgers, armadillos practice delayed implantation. They can hold an embryo in a dormant state until conditions are good for a pregnancy. Armadillos gestate their embryos (usually four identical quadruplets) for about four months, but because of delayed implantation, babies usually aren't born until 8 months after mating.
    https://www.livescience.com/20763-procreation-station-species-craziest-pregnancy.html]]>     2021-07-10 23:53:48 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1644273881     Hotel Armadillo jwei12 https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1644282463 The super-endangered Giant Armadillo in Brazil is basically out there, doing the opposite of gentrification.
    I definitely did not watch this PBS Nature episode instead of doing more work in Alludo.
    Deep in the heart of the Brazilian wetlands, the mysterious and secretive Giant armadillo digs a new burrow every other night. Once this termite-eater moves on, it leaves behind one of the hottest plots of real estate in the tropical Pantanal for 80 species of diverse and ever-changing animal clientele.]]>     2021-07-11 00:28:31 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1644282463     Richard Algea https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1644305694 Of the 20 varieties of armadillo, all but one live in Latin America. The familiar nine-banded armadillo is the only species that includes the United States in its range. Closely related to anteaters and sloths, armadillos generally have a pointy or shovel-shaped snout and small eyes.

    ]]>     2021-07-11 01:50:58 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1644305694     Stuti Arora https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1644765549 Miriam already said something similar, but I found it interesting that scientists have linked armadillos with cases of leprosy in the US. "Scientists learned in the 1960s that armadillos are susceptible to leprosy.  In fact, a small percentage already have the disease. This is largely because the animal has an unusually low body temperature of 90˚ Fahrenheit, 8 degrees lower than humans, which favors the bacterium, Mycobacterium leprae (M. leprae)." (Source: https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2011/05/leapin-lizards-dillos-carry-leprosy/)]]> 2021-07-11 23:40:44 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1644765549 katie_mcnamara https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1645230238 The lifespan of an armadillo ranges from 4 to 30 years.]]> 2021-07-12 03:13:05 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1645230238 Kaitlin J https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1645496652 To add on to Kristin's, the Pink Fairy Armadillo pumps blood through it's shell to regulate it's body temp, and the shell isn't even attached to its BODY. ]]> 2021-07-12 05:42:50 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1645496652 Jennifer Pinol https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1647150262 Out of the 20-something species that exist, only one (the Nine-Banded Armadillo) can be found in the U.S. Their territory has expanded north due to climate change. Unique to this type of Armadillo is the fact they  birth identical young... TWINS!?!
    Also, Armadillos are known carriers of Leprosy. So keep your distance...  ]]>     2021-07-13 04:52:19 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1647150262     Mac P https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1659642479 Armadillos can be hairy. There is a species called the Andean Hairy Armadillo. They're absolutely ADORABLE.]]> 2021-07-23 20:15:10 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1659642479 Noor https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1665266332 Probably not a great pet...they need space to roam and dig and are active at night!]]> 2021-07-30 22:53:05 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/1665266332 MOST Armadillos DON'T spread Leprosy! https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/2031021564 There are some armadillos that carry leprosy but most don't. Listen to this delightful podcast to learn about these delightful bois!]]> 2022-02-05 23:29:53 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/2031021564 Steven Speciale https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/2059703531
  • Where armadillos live is dependent on soil type, they prefer sandy or loam soils which are loose and porous, making it easier to dig for food and make burrows.

    • ]]>     2022-02-22 02:44:50 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/2059703531     Armadillos are NOT bulletproof! https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/2065392844 2022-02-24 22:12:37 UTC https://padlet.com/ctolnai4/armadillofunfacts/wish/2065392844