Hoover Hogs are Coming: Armadillos of the Americas
Published by A lack of natural predators has allowed the armadillo to expand its range northward through Central America and into the United States. They can now be found as far east as South Carolina and Florida, west to Colorado, and as far north as Nebraska. With few natural predators to stop them, only the cold winters of the north may halt this progression.
They may eventually expand their range as far to the east as the state of Ohio. Armadillos cannot withstand even short periods of intense cold weather. Lacking sufficient body fat to endure longer periods without food, the colder winters will likely stop this expansion here.
Armadillo Close-Up
It was during the Great Depression in the United States and President Herbert Hoover’s campaign promise of ‘a chicken in every pot’ was failing that caused the poorer people of the U.S. to eat armadillos, hence the tongue-in-cheek name “Hoover Hog.” Early German settlers to Texas even before this, called these strange looking little armored creatures “Panzerschwein” (armored pig) which they do resemble. The name “armadillo” comes from the Spanish word for “little armored one.” All the species of armadillo are native to the Americas and are found inhabiting varied environments. Prolific diggers and burrowers and generally fond of water and near ponds and river, they are insect eaters while one species feeds nearly exclusively upon ants, like their cousin the anteater. Armadillos will sink in water unless they inhale deeply and hold a breathe of air, thus allowing them to ford small streams and ponds.
Many species of armadillos will also eat plants and the flesh of carrion that they encounter. The Giant Armadillo can cause quite a bit of agricultural damage if they get into a farmer’s crop fields. Because their main food is insects and soft plants, their teeth are not complicated, lacking the harder enamel like coating like other animals. Armadillos have lost all but their molar (grinding) teeth, which are peg-shaped and suited for grinding the simple foods they find.
My Little Armadillo Friend
Their sizes range considerably, from the diminutive Pink Fairy Armadillo, which is 12-15cm (4-5 in) long, to the Giant Armadillo that can attain a length of 5-ft (1.5m) and weigh around 130lb! Armadillos belong to a suborder of species related to the anteater and the sloth. They are the only surviving family of the order Cingulata, an extinct line of larger armored mammals from the fossil record.
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72 Responses to “Hoover Hogs are Coming: Armadillos of the Americas”
On December 15, 2008 at 11:02 am
nice article
On December 15, 2008 at 4:52 pm
nice
On December 17, 2008 at 1:14 am
Fascinating animal. Another great and interesting piece.
On December 24, 2008 at 4:18 pm
Very long and detailed articlE!
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i like Armadillos
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these things look creepy! who would want one? my classmate is sitting right next to me saying “awsome, i want one” but she is a retard so…
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I like Armadilos!
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