Did You Know?

An Armadillo's armor is so strong that when a man in Georgia tried to kill one with a 9mm pistol, the bullet bounced back and hit a fence, went into a mobile home, blew through a recliner and shot his mother-in-law in the back.

Armadillos are New World placental mammals with a leathery armour shell. About 10 extant genera and 20 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are distinguished by the number of bands on their armour.

Their average length is about 75 cm (30 in), including tail. The giant armadillo grows up to 150 cm (59 in) and weighs up to 54 kg (119 lb), while the pink fairy armadillo is a diminutive species, with an overall length of 13 to 15 cm (5 to 6 in). All species are native to the Americas, where they inhabit a variety of environments.

Today, all extant armadillos species are still present in South America. They are particularly diverse in Paraguay (where eleven species exist) and surrounding areas. Many species are endangered. Some, including four species of Dasypus, are widely distributed over the Americas, whereas others, such as Yepes's mulita, are restricted to small ranges. Two species, the northern naked-tailed armadillo and nine-banded armadillo, are found in Central America; the latter has also reached the United States, primarily in the south-central states (notably Texas), but with a range that extends as far east as South Carolina and Florida, and as far north as Nebraska and central Indiana. Their range has consistently expanded in North America over the last century due to a lack of natural predators.

Source: wikipedia.org