Armadillo

Armadillos are small placental mammals, known for having a leathery armor shell. The Dasypodidae are the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo is Spanish for 'little armored one."

There are approximately extant genera and around extant species of armadillo, some of which are distinguished by the number of bands on their armor. Their average length is about centimeters (in), including tail; the Giant Armadillo grows up to 150cm (59 in) and weigh 59kg (130lbs), while the Pink Fairy Armadillos are diminutive species with an overall length of 12 to 15cm (5 to 6 in). All species are native to the Americas, where they inhabit a variety of environments.

In the United States, the sole resident armadillo is the Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), which is most common in the central southernmost states, particularly Texas. Their range is as far east as Florida and as far north as Kansas, and while cold winters have slowed the expansion of their range (due to a lack of sufficient body fat), they have been consistently expanding their range over the last century due to a lack of natural predators and have been found as far as western Kentucky, and are expected to eventually reach Ohio before the cold winters inhibit their expansion.