The bony armour is disposed over the crown of the head, back, and flanks. It is made up of numerous small, bony plates, buried deep in the skin, and each overlaid by a horny scale. The tail is protected by bony rings. The plates covering the shoulders and those directly over the hindquarters fuse into a solid mass, thus forming chambers into which the limbs can be withdrawn. In the region of the body, between these two shields, the plates are arranged in rows encircling the body, thus permitting the animal to roll itself up as occasion may require. Hairs grow out between the plates, and in some cases give the animal quite a furry appearance.
Photo by A. S. Rudland & Sons.
TWO-TOED ANT-EATER.
Although the fore feet have four toes, only the second and third bear claws; hence the name "Two-toed" Ant-eater.
Speaking of the burrowing powers of the armadillo, Darwin, in his most fascinating "Voyage of the Beagle," tells us that "the instant one was perceived, it was necessary, in order to catch it, almost to tumble off one's horse; for in soft soil the animal burrowed so quickly that its hinder quarters would almost disappear before one could alight. It seems almost a pity to kill such nice little animals; for as a Gaucho said, while sharpening his knife on the back of one, 'Son tan mansos' (They are so quiet)." As a rule, armadillos are regarded as animals loving dry, sandy wastes; nevertheless, they are said to be able to swim both well and swiftly. The flesh of the armadillo is apparently by no means unpalatable.
The Pichiciago.
One of the most remarkable of the armadillos is the Pichiciago, or Fairy Armadillo. It is a tiny creature of some 5 inches long, found in the sandy wastes of the western part of the Argentine Republic. The horny covering of the bony plates is pinkish colour, and the hair is silky in texture and snow-white. But it is not on this account that the fairy armadillo is remarkable: its claim to notoriety rests on the peculiar arrangement of the bony plates constituting the armour. These bony plates are small and thin, and covered, as in other species, with a horny coat; but instead of being embedded in the skin, they are attached only along the middle of the back, and project freely over the body on either side, leaving a space between the shield and the body. The hinder end of the body is specially protected by a nearly circular vertical shield, firmly fixed to the hip-girdle. This shield, it is said, is used as a plug to fill up its burrow with.
The Peludo.
Armadillos of the normal type, wherein the body armour is embedded in the skin, are represented by numerous species. Of one, known as the Peludo, Mr. Hudson has given us some interesting details. "It feeds," he tells us, "not only upon insects, but also upon vegetable matter, eggs, young birds, and carrion. Its method of capturing mice was certainly ingenious. It hunted by smell, and when nearing its prey became greatly agitated. The exact spot discovered, the body was raised slowly to a sitting posture, and then flung suddenly forwards, so that the mouse or nest of mice was imprisoned beneath, and promptly dispatched." "Still more remarkable," says Mr. Lydekker, "is the manner in which a peludo has been observed to kill a snake, by rushing upon it and proceeding to saw the unfortunate reptile in pieces by pressing upon it closely with the jagged edges of its armour, and at the same time moving its body backwards and forwards. The struggles of the snake were all in vain, as its fangs could make no impression upon the panoply of its assailant, and eventually the reptile slowly dropped and died, to be soon afterwards devoured by the armadillo, which commenced the meal by seizing the snake's tail in its mouth, and gradually eating forwards."