"Shell"o, armadillo!
When you see an armadillo, you might not believe your eyes! Their roly-poly shell with “armored” bands is the best clue that an animal is an armadillo, and it helps protect the armadillo from predators that might try to eat them. Most armadillo species look like they are bald, but they do have wiry hairs on the sides and the belly.
Armadillo details
There are 20 species of armadillos, and they are mostly native to Central and South America, but the nine-banded armadillo comes from the United States. The smallest is the pink fairy armadillo, which is only 3 to 5 inches long. The largest is the giant armadillo—it can grow to 5 feet long! That’s probably bigger than you!
