Armadillo

Armadillos Temporal range: Palaeocene–Recent
Nine-banded Armadillo
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Superorder:	Xenarthra
Order:	Cingulata
Families
†Pampatheriidae †Glyptodontidae Dasypodidae

A armadillo is in the Cingulata, an order of New World placental mammals. The living ones have a leathery armored shell. The word armadillo is Spanish for "little armored one".

There are about 10 living genera and about 20 species of armadillo. Their average length is about 75 centimeters (30 in), including the tail. The giant armadillo grows up to 100 cm (39 in) and weigh 30 kg (66lbs). All species live in the Americas. Most of the 20 species are found in open areas, such as grasslands, but some also live in forests.^[1]

Armadillos species are mostly found in South and Central America, especially around Paraguay. Many species are endangered.^[2]

1. ↑ "armadillo (mammal) : Introduction -- Britannica Online Encyclopedia". Retrieved 2012-06-08.
2. ↑ "Giant Armadillo: Natural History Notebooks". Retrieved 2012-06-08.