![]() ![]() A typical lifespan is between 7 and 15 years.Ī wide range of predators will eat an armadillo with one of the most common being the coyote. A nine-banded armadillo can live up to 20 years in the wild. The life expectancy of an armadillo varies by species. This amazing sense of smell allows them to smell insects up to 20 cm beneath the ground! Because of their poor eyesight, armadillos rely on their incredible sense of smell to locate their food. Much like its cousin, the anteater, armadillos have a long snout and a sticky tongue, which works great for capturing insects. The pups will stay close to the mother for a couple more months after weaning before venturing off on their own.Īlthough armadillos will occasionally eat a vertebrate such as a small frog, an armadillos diet consists mostly of insects such as ants and termites. The litter of pups will nurse for around two months before weaning off the mother and starting to eat an adult diet. ![]() This starts to harden into the armor like shell that adults have after a couple of weeks. When the pups are born, they have a soft leathery skin. While some are believed to have delayed pregnancy for up to two years, the longest confirmed is four months. This incredible process is called embryonic diapause. Like some other mammals, armadillos can delay pregnancy for months by triggering hormones which prevent the embryo from attaching to the uterine wall. They often prefer loose or sandy soils because it’s easier to dig. The armadillo will dig its burrows with its shovel like front claws. These burrows can be over 10 feet wide and can connect to other burrows as well. The seven-banded armadillo will birth between 8 and 15 identical pups.Īrmadillos will dig massive burrows to live in as well as birth their pups in. The nine-banded armadillo will birth 4 identical pups of the same sex every litter. Nicknamed the “hillbilly speed bump” due to getting hit by cars often, the nine-banded armadillo is the official state animal of Texas.Īrmadillos birth between 1 and 12 pups, depending on species. There are roughly 20 different species of armadillos with the nine-banded armadillo being the only species that is found in the United States. There are only two mammals that are known to lay eggs, the duck-billed platypus and the echidna. Although they are sometimes mistaken for reptiles due to their hard shell, they are in fact mammals. Armadillos give birth to live babies called pups.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |