The nine-banded armadillo is the official state animal of Texas. Some people eat armadillos and claim it tastes like pork. They can be pink, red, black, gray or yellow. Other factsĪrmadillos have a wide range of colors. The giant armadillo is considered vulnerable because its population has decreased by at least 30 percent in the past 21 years. For example, the Andean hairy armadillo is considered vulnerable because its population has declined by more than 30 percent in the past 10 years. Tolypeutes tricinctus - Brazilian three-banded armadilloĪccording to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), armadillos are not endangered.Cabassous centralis - Northern naked-tailed armadillo.Euphractus sexcinctus - Six-banded armadillo.Chlamyphorus truncatus - Pink fairy armadillo.Chaetophractus vellerosus - Screaming hairy armadillo.Calyptophractus retusus - Greater fairy armadillo.Dasypus septemcinctus - Seven-banded armadillo.Dasypus novemcinctus - Nine-banded armadillo.Kingdom: Animalia Subkingdom: Bilateria Infrakingdom: Deuterostomia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Infraphylum: Gnathostomata Superclass: Tetrapoda Class: Mammalia Subclass: Theria Infraclass: Eutheria Order: Cingulata Family: Dasypodidae Subfamilies: Dasypodinae, Euphractinae and Tolypeutinae Genera and species: There are nine genera and 21 species, including: Here is the taxonomy of armadillos, according to ITIS: The median life expectancy for three-banded armadillos is around 16 years.

Armadillos can live anywhere from four to 30 years. By nine to 12 months, the pups are mature and ready to have offspring of their own. Nine-banded armadillos have four identical pups of the same gender in every litter, and the seven-banded armadillo has eight to 15 identical pups at one time. According to the San Diego Zoo, twin births are common. These burrows can be up to 15 feet (4.5 m) wide, according to the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage.īaby armadillos are called pups. (Image credit: Robert Eastman Shutterstock) OffspringĪfter a gestation period of two to five months, the female will give birth to one to 12 young in a birthing burrow. The screaming hairy armadillo gets its name from the sound it makes when threatened. From time to time, they will scavenge for dead animals. They also eat plants, eggs, small vertebrates and some fruit. With their long, sticky tongue, armadillos catch ants, beetles, termites and other insects after digging them out of the ground. DietĪrmadillos are omnivores, which means they eat meat and plants, though 90 percent of an armadillo’s diet is made up of insects and larvae, according to the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management. Sometimes, a seven-banded armadillo will share its burrow with others of the same gender, though. During cold times, a group of armadillos may hunker down in a burrow together to share body heat. Usually, the only time armadillos get together is to mate or to keep warm. During the morning and evenings, they forage for food. They usually sleep up to 16 hours each day in burrows, according to National Geographic. HabitsĪrmadillos are not social creatures and spend most of their time sleeping.

In 2000, the body of a nine-banded armadillo was found in central Illinois, according to ADW. They have been seen in Florida and are now common in Missouri. Since the mid-19th century, nine-banded armadillos have expanded northward. The nine-banded armadillo ranges from Argentina to the southern United States, according to the Animal Diversity Web (ADW) at the University of Michigan. All armadillos live in Central and South America, except for one species.

Cute armadillo