Animal of the day – 12/29/2011 – The Armadillo

Armadillo

The animal of the day is the Armadillo. (Did you know: These guys sleep 19 hours a day! That makes them the 3rd sleepiest mammal [right behind the koala bear who’s number 1, and the sloth who’s number 2!].

The 3-banded armadillo is the only one that can roll itself into a ball!

3 Banded Armadillo Ball

but the other banded varieties use their speed and digging to escape predators! Besides being excellent diggers, armadillos are also good swimmers. Armadillos can hold their breath for up to 6 minutes.

It is this penchant for digging that has caused the armadillo to be considered destructive and a pest by humans. On the contrary, armadillos frequently consume the insects that cause the most damage to crops and lawns, this includes fire ants, and armadillos are one of the few animals that can handle preying on them!