SW EW-448 The Armadillo - an icon of Texas

The armadillo is a small to medium-sized mammal with a leathery armour shell. The word “armadillo” means "little armored one" in Spanish. The armadillo is an icon of Texas but it originated in South America.  In Texas, the specie of Armadillos is the nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus).  This is a medium-sized nocturnal solitary animal. In 1995, Texas designated the nine-banded armadillo as the official state small mammal.

This armour-like skin of the armadillo appears to be the main defence of many armadillos, although most escape predators by fleeing (often into thorny patches, from which their armour protects them) or digging to safety. Armadillos have short legs, but can move quite quickly and they have the ability to remain under water for as long as six minutes. The nine-banded armadillo tends to jump straight in the air when surprised.

This postcard came from maggie249 (2 February 2015) Swap-bot.