Armadillo Arcana
Treehugger: “13 things you didn’t know about armadillos.” More than 13, so let me concentrate on the only 1 of the 20 or so species of armadillo. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature [IUCN] considers 2 species vulnerable, 5 as near threatened + 5 more ‘data-deficient’ + likely threatened. But the sole American species, the nine-banded [go ahead, count them, I did] armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is the only one that migrated to North America. What with climate change, they are no longer limited to humid, subtropical areas of the US, hence now reside as far north as Nebraska + Illinois. Be prepared, “Warmer winters caused by climate change may further expand their range.” They always give birth to identical young formed from the splitting of a single fertilized egg. “When startled, the nine-banded armadillo jumps 3–4 feet straight up.” Poaching + habitat degradation are their main threats. “As nocturnal animals, armadillos perform most activities — foraging, eating, burrowing, mating — at night.” Then they sleep up to 16 hrs, usually in burrows, rarely shared — but if shared — then tortoises, snakes + rats may cohabitate. “Armadillos are the only nonhuman animals to spread leprosy, or Hansen’s Disease.” The main causative agent, Mycobacterium leprae, thrives due to the low body temperature of these mammals. “Researchers believe armadillos acquired Hansen’s disease from 15th-century explorers.” But turn-about is fair play, so nowadays hunters + poachers may acquire infection by hunting them, eating their meat, or inhaling their fecal spores. Their armor consists of bony plates covered in keratin. Final thought: “Did you know that ‘armadillo’ means ‘little armored one’ in Spanish?” Nor did I, and I have a fair degree of fluency.
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