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Armadillo
           
                        ARMADILLO, armored mammal of the family Dasypodidae, related to the anteaters
                        and sloths in the order Edentata. The peba, or nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus
                        novemcinctus), is found in South and Central America and in Texas, southern
                        Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and parts of Florida. The six-banded
                        armadillo, or peludo (Euphractus sexcinctus); the tree-banded armadillo, or apar
                        (Tolypeutes t. cinctus); and the giant armadillo (Priodontes giganteus) are among
                        the more common South American species. They vary in size from the giant
                        armadillo, which is almost 1 m (about 3 ft) long excluding the tail, to species only
                        about 15 cm (about 6 in) long when fully grown. 

                        The bony plate that protects the animal against predators is formed by the
                        ossification of the greater part of the skin. In some species even the tail is so
                        protected. In most species except the giant armadillo, the shoulders and rump are
                        each covered by a single large shield, and the middle of the body is covered by
                        transverse bands that are movable and articulated, so that the animal can contract
                        and curl up to cover its unprotected abdomen; the nine-banded armadillo can roll
                        itself into a ball. 

                        Despite short legs, the armadillo moves relatively quickly, and with its strong feet
                        and thick claws it can burrow with considerable speed. It is nocturnal in habit and
                        feeds on insects and worms and sometimes on carrion. The flesh is palatable and is
                        used for food. Fossil remains of gigantic extinct armadillos have been found in the
                        Pleistocene strata of South America. 

                        The survival of several species, including the giant and the three-banded armadillos,
                        is now in doubt because of hunting and encroachment on habitat (see
                        ENDANGERED SPECIES).