Nine-banded armadillo
| Nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) | |
|---|---|
| Male nine-banded armadillo in Florida, USA | |
| Female nine-banded armadillo in Nuevo León, Mexico | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Cingulata |
| Family: | Dasypodidae |
| Genus: | Dasypus |
| Species: | D. novemcinctus |
| Binomial name | |
| Dasypus novemcinctus | |
| Nine-banded armadillo range | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Tatusia novemcincta (Linnaeus, 1758) | |
The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), also called the nine-banded long-nosed armadillo or common long-nosed armadillo, is a species of armadillo native to North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos.
Its ancestors originated in South America, and remained there until the formation of the Isthmus of Panama allowed them to enter North America as part of the Great American Interchange. The nine-banded armadillo is a solitary, mainly nocturnal animal, found in many kinds of habitats, from mature and secondary rainforests to grassland and dry scrub. It is an insectivore, feeding chiefly on ants, termites, and other small invertebrates. The armadillo can jump 91–120 cm (3–4 ft) straight in the air if sufficiently frightened, making it a particular danger on roads. It is the state small mammal of Texas.