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Nine-banded armadillo

1 Jan 2022
Nine-banded armadillo (Tomás Tyner)

This weird and wonderful creature is the nine-banded armadillo Dasypus novemcinctus, an armoured mammal native to the Americas. The name is somewhat of a misnomer, as this armadillo can in fact have seven to eleven bands.

Despite their awkward appearance, armadillos can jump up to one-meter high, mostly when they are startled. They are primarily insectivorous and are also strong swimmers, in fact they are also skilled at walking along the riverbed when crossing water bodies. Perhaps the most striking aspect of these creatures is their unique method of reproduction - during the July-August breeding season a single egg is fertilised, but the female can delay implantation in the uterus to ensure young are born at the optimal time. Furthermore, this fertilised egg splits into four genetically identical offspring, meaning each armadillo gives birth to quadruplets.

UCC Natural Collections

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