What makes an armadillo's skeleton so unique?

The carapace of an armadillo makes their thorax so rigid that, instead, they take more rapid, shallow breaths to intake enough oxygen. read more

Nine-banded armadillo skeleton. Armadillos are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata with a leathery armour shell. The Chlamyphoridae and Dasypodidae are the only surviving families in the order, which is part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. read more

Some armadillos are very small, while others are huge. The smallest is the pink fairy armadillo, which is about 6 inches (15 centimeters) long. Giant armadillos are the largest species, and are about 5 feet (1.5 meters) long, according to National Geographic. An armadillo's armor is made up of overlapping plates covering the back, head, legs and tail. read more

Even though it is so small, a pink fairy armadillo has gigantic claws. In fact, its claws are so big, it has trouble walking on hard surfaces like rock. These claws help the armadillo dig into the earth for food. This animal can dig very quickly. If it feels threatened, it will bury itself in the earth in just a few seconds. As for food, the pink fairy armadillo loves to chomp on ants. read more