Armadillos are most closely related to anteaters and
sloths. Armadillo means “little armored
one” in Spanish. Aztecs called them āyōtōchtli,
which means “turtle-rabbit,” which I like better.
Armadillos often escape predators by running into thorny areas
that species with thinner skin are more vulnerable to. When armadillos are frightened, they often
jump 3-4 feet into the air, which means they frequently collide with cars and
die.
Many armadillos give birth to four identical quadruplets
from one egg.
Armadillos have very low body temperatures, which makes them
vulnerable to leprosy. It is fairly
common for people to contract leprosy from trying to eat armadillos. Their body temperature is about 93 degrees,
roughly the same as human skin.
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