Small land animals, armadillos are indigenous to South America. The most notable feature of these animals is their armor.
Each armadillo’s armor is composed of bone plates, skin, and layers of keratin, similar to those found in your fingernails. Bone plates typically fit together to form a flexible yet durable armor coating.
Because of their flexibility, some armadillos can totally conceal any area that isn’t covered by armor by curling into a ball.
Nonetheless, armadillos can be quite unusual, with 21 species still living in two families.
The enormous animals like armadillos, for instance, can weigh up to 119 pounds! In contrast, the pink fairy armadillo typically weighs around 4 ounces and measures about 6 inches in length.
Furthermore, the armor does not completely protect every armadillos. For example, a strip on the rear serves as the only armor for the pink fairy armadillo.
It is more exposed if it has no defenses on either side. Additionally, because it is nearer the ground, it requires less protection.
Five creatures, such as armadillos, are listed below. It is noteworthy that armadillos will resemble the majority of fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Among the notable animals are horned toads, crocodiles, and turtles.
However, because they are the animals like armadillos, we have focused on mammals.
1. Hedgehogs
Scientific name (family): Erinaceidae
TL;DR: The overall shape of hedgehogs is similar to that of armadillos. Additionally, they defend themselves against predators by using an outer layer of keratin.
Small, adorable creatures, hedgehogs are popular for their cuteness. Despite not being native to the Americas, they are invasive and occasionally brought in as pets. Because of this, keeping them as pets is frequently prohibited by law.
Hedgehogs are also a very diverse group of animals, with 17 species. The majority are similar and brown. But you can also acquire large-eared or long-eared hedgehogs, as well as white hedgehogs.
Hedgehogs are found almost everywhere except in Australia, Antarctica, and North, Central, and South America. New Zealand is also invaded by them.
A native hedgehog can therefore be found practically anywhere, unless you live in the Americas.
Similar to the animals like armadillos, hedgehogs defend themselves against predators by covering themselves with keratin. That keratin shows up as dense bristles or spines in hedgehogs.
Similar to animals like armadillos, hedgehogs are able to curl into a ball and tuck all exposed areas behind their bristles for protection.
Sea also: 6 Amazing Animals Like Hedgehogs(With Photos)
2. Porcupines
Scientific name (family): Hystricidae (Old World Porcupines), Erethizontidae (New World Porcupines)
TL;DR: Porcupines are rodents that have keratin quills covering their bodies to keep predators away. They curl into a ball, just animals like armadillos, and show their quills to any potential attacker first.
Porcupines are among the largest rodents in the world. They are also among the few rodents that have armor for protection.
Keratin-coated bristles that develop into spines make up that “armor.” Furthermore, the quills of many porcupines really create acids. Infection may result from those quills sticking to the skin due to barbs and other factors.
Porcupines from the Old World (Africa, Asia, and Southern Europe) and the New World (the Americas) are likewise very distinct.
For instance, quills are grouped together in Old World porcupines. When these adhere to something, they frequently emerge in big clusters. New World porcupines, on the other hand, have softer hair underneath their quills, which grow like other hair.
Quills are a protective mechanism used by all porcupines. To appear more impressive, they all, nevertheless, also employ displays in which quills are raised. They then make a loud noise by chattering their teeth.
Lastly, porcupines have a scent that is comparable to that of skunks. They typically sprint sideways or backwards into the predator, impaling it on their spines, if that doesn’t work.
Porcupines are therefore far more violent than the majority of the other species on this list. However, they continue to employ the same fundamental protection strategy, which involves an exterior layer of keratin.
3. Anteaters
Scientific name (suborder): Vermilingua
TL;DR: Despite their dissimilar appearance, anteaters are the closest living relatives of the animals like armadillos.
Anteaters are a varied group of mammals that are indigenous to the Caribbean and South America. In this case, there are four species of anteaters in three genera.
Included in the suborder Vermilingua, they are all closely related to armadillos and tree sloths. The armadillo’s closest living cousins are really anteaters.
Anteaters lack the armored covering that the animals like armadillos do. All four extant species, on the other hand, have a thick coat of fur that is shaggy.
But the animals like armadillos and anteaters have another thing in common. They both have large, curved claws that are mostly used for digging. It is understandable given that both species depend on insects and foraging for sustenance. At the same time, anteaters differ greatly from one another.
The enormous anteater can grow to a height of 5’11” and weigh more than a hundred pounds. It is more likely that the considerably smaller silky anteater will weigh less than a pound and measure around 14 inches in length.
4. Rhinoceros
Scientific name (family): Rhinocerotidae (Family)
TL;DR: Both employ keratin and thick skin as protections. The rhino merely separates these into a spectacular horn and a thick hide that resembles armor.
You may not be aware that rhinos are famed for their horns, but they are actually formed of keratin.
Furthermore, a rhino’s thick skin serves as a major defense, much like that of an animals like armadillos. Naturally, that translates to between half an inch to more than two inches of thick skin on average in a rhinoceros.
The rhinoceros’s hide is composed of cellulose and hide, animals like armadillos. As a result, it can form a thick, impenetrable outer layer without sacrificing mobility.
Five species are still alive today. They are all indigenous to South and Southeast Asia as well as Africa. The bulk of Javan rhinoceroses are endangered, with fewer than 60 of them left in the wild.
As adults, all rhinos weigh more than one ton, making them megafauna. This usually means that compared to smaller animals like armadillos, they have a lot less predators.
But if they are attacked, they use their horns and that weight to ward off the onslaught.
5. Pangolins
Scientific name (family): Manidae
TL;DR: Because of their keratin scale armor on the outside, pangolins resemble anteaters.
Pangolins are the animals like armadillos more than any other animal on the planet. Actually, if you didn’t know what a pangolin was, you may think it was a strange armadillo.
These creatures, however, are not even related and are indigenous to Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Additionally, pangolins are the only scaled mammal. The scales are made of a thick layer of keratin, just like fingernails.
These can move because they overlap one another as well. They also completely enclose the huge tail and the top of the body.
Pangolins curl into a ball when threatened, just animals like armadillos do. The animal has a very strong protection against the majority of potential attackers since its scales cover its whole surface.
Similar to porcupines, pangolins use scents to ward off predators.
The scales of pangolins are difficult to touch. Newborns, on the other hand, have delicate scales. Over a few days, they become harder.
Lastly, pangolins can reside in trees or on the ground. With eight species dispersed over three genera and two continents, pangolins can exhibit a high degree of diversity. All pangolins, though, are endangered species.
Conclusion :
The animals like armadillos are similar to many other creatures. All of these animals, with the exception of the rhinoceros, actually consume termites and insects. Almost all of them can climb and dig because to their large, curled claws.
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