Some armadillos can roll themselves into a complete ball for protection but the nine-banded, or long-nosed, armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) prefers to escape to the safety of its burrow where it wedges itself in, arching its back against the burrow walls. A master of escape, this armadillo has been known to outrun dogs despite its short legs and is adept at crossing water. Not just a good swimmer, the armadillo can run along the bottom of shallow waterways, escaping unseen.
Armadillos are unique in that their litter always includes identical quadruplets that develop from a single egg. For this reason, they are valued for medical research into multiple births. Similarly, they are used for research into leprosy as they are the only non-primate creature to suffer from this disease.
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Books[]
_(32).jpeg "The Animal Book (Steve Jenkins) (32).jpeg (1.75 MB)")