Armadillo

• The name is Spanish and means “little armored one”. These small animals are the only mammals with hard-shells.
• An armadillo embryo will split into 4 which means 4 identical babies or pups are born.
• They can hold their breath underwater for about 6 minutes which means they can walk underwater for a short while.
• They are also nicknamed the “Hoover Hog” as many people had to eat them during the Great Depression, which they blamed on President Herbert Hoover.
• They travel alone as opposed to living in family units.
• When surprised they jump vertically, this accounts for the large number of armadillos killed on the highways as they jump directly into the grills of cars.
• They are nocturnal and can run about 30 mph.
• Armadillos can carry leprosy due to their low body temperatures which can host the leprosy bacteria. Transmission of the disease can occur when touching the body fluids of an infected animal. About 1 in 6 armadillos in Texas and Louisiana have the disease.
• Their lifespan is between 12-15 years.

WKRN.COM
Missouri Poison Center