Nine-banded armadillo
The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), or the nine-banded, long-nosed armadillo, is a species of armadillo. The nine-banded armadillo is an insectivorous animal. Ants, termites, and other small invertebrates make up most of its diet. The armadillo can jump 3–4 feet (91–122 cm) in the air when scared.[2]
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| Species: | D. novemcinctus
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| Nine-banded armadillo range | |
Range
The nine-banded armadillo is spreading more far out in both the north and east of the United States. It crossed the Rio Grande from Mexico in the late 19th century. At the same time, it was introduced in Florida by humans. By 1995, the species was found in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida, and recently seen as far north as southern Nebraska, Illinois, and Indiana.[3] The main reason of this fast expansion is because the species have few or no natural predators in the United States. It is also because Americans do not hunt or eat the armadillo. In late 2009, the state of North Carolina considered a hunting season for armadillo to slow them down.[4][5] Outside the United States, the nine-banded armadillo is in Central and South America and northern Argentina and Uruguay.
Diet
Nine-banded armadillos are mostly insectivores. They find their meals by pushing their snouts into soil and digging. They dig up grubs, beetles, ants, termites, and worms. They sometimes also eat amphibians, small reptiles, fungi, and carrion.
Behavior
Nine-banded armadillos do not live in groups. They are nocturnal,[6] which means that they are lively at night instead of the day. Through soil excavation, the nine-banded armadillo's ability to burrow underground helps the armadillo protect itself from predators and protect their young. They are purposely positioned in a way, such as on a slope, where they have vegetation around, protective layers around, and easy access to nearby burrows. The burrows they make are about 8 inches (20 cm) wide, 7 feet (2.1 m) deep, and 25 feet (7.6 m) long.[7] Armadillos usually mark their territory.[7] The armadillo can jump 3–4 feet (91–122 cm) in the air when scared.[2] This may be dangerous on roads, because it could get hit by a car.[8] Their top protection mechanism is their rigid, bony, armored shell.
Reproduction
Mating is usually done from July to August in the Northern Hemisphere and November to January in the Southern Hemisphere. A single egg is fertilized. Then it splits into four identical embryos, each which makes its own placenta. The nine-banded armadillo gives birth to genetically identical quadruplets.[9][10][11][12]
After birth, the quadruplets remain in the burrow, drinking the mother's milk for about three months.[7] Then they begin to hunt for their meals with the mother. After six months to a year, they leave.[13]
A single female can produce up to 56 young over the course of her life.[14]
Nine-banded Armadillo Media
- Armadillo range expansion.png
The current (circa 2009–2010) range (shaded red), and predicted future range (shaded pink) of the nine-banded armadillo in the US
- 9-banded armadillo skeleton.jpg
Skeleton of nine-banded armadillo on display at the Museum of Osteology
- Armadillo 1.theora.ogv
Nine-banded armadillo in natural habitat (near Memphis, Tennessee, 2010)
Nine-banded armadillo on its hind legs
- Nine-banded armadillo (13594).jpg
Female in Alajuela Province, Costa Rica
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lua error in Module:Commons_link at line 62: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).. |
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Wikispecies has information on: Dasypus novemcinctus. |
- ↑ IUCN SSC Edentate Specialist Group (2008). Dasypus novemcinctus. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2008. Retrieved on 30 December 2008.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
- ↑ Jefferson Weaver (9 December 2009). "New regulations feature armored possums". The News Reporter. http://www.whiteville.com/articles/2009/12/10/news/doc4b1d199773d64464304059.txt. Retrieved 8 June 2010.[dead link]
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
- ↑ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Utilities at line 38: bad argument #1 to 'ipairs' (table expected, got nil).
- Louise H. Emmons and Francois Feer, 1997 - Neotropical rainforest mammals: a field guide.
- eNature entry Archived 2009-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
- Nixon, Joshua. Armadillo Expansion Archived 2006-11-28 at the Wayback Machine, September 14, 2006, retrieved December 3, 2006.
- Trapping the nine-banded armadillo Archived 2011-04-23 at the Wayback Machine