Nine-banded armadillo

Nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)
Male in Florida, USA
Female in Nuevo León, Mexico
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cingulata
Family: Dasypodidae
Genus: Dasypus
Species:
D. novemcinctus
Binomial name
Dasypus novemcinctus
Nine-banded armadillo range
Synonyms[2]

Tatusia novemcincta (Linnaeus, 1758)

The current (circa 2009–2010) range (shaded red), and predicted future range (shaded pink) of the nine-banded armadillo in the USA
Skeleton of nine-banded armadillo on display at the Museum of Osteology.

The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), also called the nine-banded long-nosed armadillo or common long-nosed armadillo, is a species of armadillo native to North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos.[3]

Its ancestors originated in South America, and remained there until the formation of the Isthmus of Panama allowed them to enter North America as part of the Great American Interchange. The nine-banded armadillo is a solitary, mainly nocturnal[4][5] animal, found in many kinds of habitats, from mature and secondary rainforests to grassland and dry scrub. It is an insectivore, feeding chiefly on ants, termites, and other small invertebrates. The armadillo can jump 91–120 cm (3–4 ft) straight in the air if sufficiently frightened, making it a particular danger on roads.[6] It is the state small mammal of Texas.

  1. ^ Loughry, J.; McDonough, C.; Abba, A.M. (2014). "Dasypus novemcinctus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T6290A47440785. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T6290A47440785.en. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  2. ^ "Dasypus novemcinctus Linnaeus, 1758". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  3. ^ Gardner, A.L. (2005). "Order Cingulata". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 94–95. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.
  4. ^ Armadillo Observation. Msu.edu. Retrieved on October 17, 2013.
  5. ^ Mammals of Kansas – Kansas University Archived April 26, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Ksr.ku.edu. Retrieved on October 17, 2013.
  6. ^ "How high can a nine-banded armadillo jump?". Everyday Mysteries. Library of Congress. (dead link 2 November 2024)