Where did armadillos as a species originate?
What is peculiar about their skin?
What interesting defenses do they have?
Answers:
Where did armadillos as a species originate?
The armadillo-ish ancestor all armadillos have in common came from South America, where currently all surviving species of armadillo still survive to this day! One group of their ancestors, the Glyptodonts, arose around 20 million years ago and died out only during the last ice age, between 11,000 - 110,000 years ago.
What is peculiar about their skin?
In some areas Armadillo skin hardens into thick plates of overlapping bone called dermal bone, which is specially adapted for extra protection from predators. This skin-armor only occurs on its top and sides, not its underside. Despite this thick skin, they are very sensitive to cold, and temperatures that plunge too low can threaten their survival.
What interesting defenses do they have?
Armadillos have sharp claws which they use to dig with, often for food but sometimes to escape predators. Some species have developed the ability to roll into a ball for protection, but contrary to stereotype, not all armadillos have this special talent. There are other types of Armadillos that have evolved some fascinating adaptations. This taxidermied fella was donated to the Karshner Museum in 1937.
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