The armored mammal - " Armadillo "

Armadillo, armored mammal, related to anteaters and sloths. The peba, or nine-banded armadillo, is found in South and Central America and in Texas, southern Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and parts of Florida. The six-banded armadillo; the three-banded armadillo, or apar; and the giant armadillo are among the South American species. They vary in size from the giant armadillo, which is almost 1 m (about 3 ft) long excluding the tail, to species only about 15 cm (about 6 in) long when fully grown.

The layer of horn (hard material derived from hair) and bony plates that protect the animal against predators is formed by the ossification of the greater part of the skin. In some species even the tail is so protected. In most species except the giant armadillo, the shoulders and rump are each covered by a single large shield, and the middle of the body is covered by transverse bands that are movable and articulated, so that the animal can contract andcurl up to cover its unprotected abdomen; the three-banded armadillo can roll itself into a tight ball