DASYPUS : ARMADILLO

DASYPUS : ARMADILLO

DASYPUS : ARMADILLO

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1) DASYPUS : ARMADILLO
1.1) CLASSIFICATION OF DASYPUS : ARMADILLO
1.2) GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
1.3) HABIT AND HABITAT
1.4) GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF DASYPUS : ARMADILLO
1.5) Special features
1.6) Identification
1.7) REFERENCES

CLASSIFICATION OF DASYPUS : ARMADILLO

PHYLUM :- CHORDATA (Notochord, dorsal tubular nerve cord present and gill slits present )

Group :- CRANIATA ( Definite head. Cranium with brain present )

Sub-phylum :- VERTEBRATA ( vertebral column present)

Division :- GNATHOSTOMATA ( Jaws and paired appendages present )

Super class :-  TETRAPODA ( Paired limbs, lungs, bony skeleton and cornified skin).

Class :-MAMMALIA ( Body covered with hairs. females have mammary glands ).

Sub-class :- THERIA ( Viviparous ).

Infra class :- EUTHERIA ( Placental mammals, vagina single ).

Order :- EDENTATA ( Teeth reduced to molars. Toes clawed ).

Genus :- . Dasypus

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

All armadillos live in Central and South America.

HABIT AND HABITAT

Armadillos are not social creatures and spend most of their time sleeping. They usually sleep up to 16 hours each day in burrows, During the morning and evenings, they forage for food. Armadillos are omnivores, which means they eat meat and plants,

DASYPUS : ARMADILLO

GENERAL CHARACTERSTICS OF DASYPUS : ARMADILLO

  • Commonly called as nine-banded armadillo.
  • Body 75 cm long and divisible into head, trunk, tail and abdomen.
  • Body covered with well developed dermal skeleton of bony scutes arranged in transverse bands.
  • Bony scutes are covered with bony plates or scales having hairs and flexible skin.Head contains, eyes, nostrils and bony scutes. Conical ears prominent. Head is produced into snout.
  • In genus Dasypus, there has been extra-ordinary secondary specialization in the production of identical quadruplets in Dasypus novemcincta and 8-12 in D. hybrida.
  • Forelimbs and hind limbs hairy.
  • The prolonged period of gestation of 18 weeks in D. novemcincta probably reduces the dependence of the neonatal young on lactation.
  • Armadillos have a wide range of colors. They can be pink, red, black, gray or yellow.
  • After a gestation period of two to five months, the female will give birth to one to 12 young in a birthing burrow.

Special features

Armadillos are characterized by a leathery armour shell and long sharp claws for digging. They have short legs, but can move quite quickly.

Identification

This animal has transverse bands and above features, hence it is called as Dasypus.

DASYPUS : ARMADILLO
DASYPUS : ARMADILLO

REFERENCES

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