5.02.22
Much as been written about the armadillo, a strange creature that looks prehistoric. Because it lives throughout Texas, the armadillo is Texas’ official small animal.
According to Texas Parks and Wildlife, armadillos, Dasypus novemcinctus, are about the “size of a small dog”, and sleep up to sixteen hours a day. They have poor eyesight, are generally shy, are crepuscular (hunt at twilight), and have a hard outer shell, making them “little armored ones”.
This hard shell makes them less than tasty for predators. Armadillos have been on this planet for about 50 million years and many of modern day armadillo cousins are now extinct. Armadillo’s closest living relatives may be sloths and anteaters.
Can you imagine this animal when it roamed the earth in the dinosaur age? It was HUGE!
Current-day armadillos roll up inside their shells making them hard to eat.
Armadillos generally scratch and dig with their powerful foot nails, for insects and larvae in the soil. Although armadillos are mammals, they have little hair and must find ways to regulate their body temperature. They usually hunker down when it’s hot during the day and come out at twilight when it may be cooler.
Never touch an Armadillo with your bare hands! They are known to carry leprosy, a disease that is very harmful to humans.