Souther Three-Banded Armadillo

The southern three-banded armadillo has a tough shell made up of bony plates covered by an outer layer of keratin – the same substance found in human hair and nails. When threatened, it can curl up into an armoured ball, which is virtually impenetrable to attacks from predators. Apart from humans, the three-banded armadillo has few natural enemies, since even large predators can hardly breach the shell.

Three-banded armadillos have a lower body temperature than other mammals – about 32 °C compared to the typical 37 °C. With such a low body temperature, they are adapted to conserve energy and require less food. Their temperature depends on the outdoor temperature and can fluctuate greatly over the course of the day.

About 12,000 years ago, giant armadillos known as Glyptodon existed. They grew up to 3 meters in length and weighed about 1.4 tonnes.