Reasons for their habitat expansion are unclear, but some point to milder winters which suits this cold intolerant species well. Armadillos have expanded beyond their typical southern habitat and are now seen in southern Missouri, with some sightings as far north as the Missouri-Iowa border. If you are traveling on Missouri highways this summer, you may pass by some unusual “road-kill”. This jump aligns an armadillo perfectly with the grill of small or midsized cars. When the armadillo is taken by surprise, such as when a vehicle is approaching, their natural instinct is to jump straight up.They travel alone, you will not find a family of armadillos together.Babies leave their mothers around six months of age.Armadillos are studied in fertility research because their embryo splits into four birth is always four identical pups.They fleeing into thorny patches that predators avoid and dig their way to safety. They are the only mammal with a hard shell.Armadillos have tiny mouths and small peg like teeth used for grinding, therefore they do not bite.Wilson, Mammals of North America, Princeton University Press, Princeton, 2002. Ruff, The Smithsonian Book of North American Mammals, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., 1999. Chapman (Ed.), Wild Mammals of North America: Biology, Management, and Conservation – 2nd Edition, Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 2003. Macdonald (Ed.), The New Encyclopedia of Mammals, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 2001. Ramsay, “A study on the structure and mechanical behavior of the Dasypus novemcinctus shell,” Materials Science and Engineering: C, Volume 31, Issue 2, 12 March 2011, Pages 363-369, ISSN 0928-4931. Compression test results on the forward and rear shells showed a typical nonlinear deformation behavior recognizant of synthetic foams, whereas the band shell revealed almost a linear deformation behavior with much smaller fracture strains. Micro-indentation tests and microstructural observations provided that the top and bottom surfaces of the nine-banded armadillo’s dermal shell consist of relatively harder and denser structures. ![]() The band shell revealed a more complicated structure and adjacent bands in the band shell region are partially overlapped and connected with each other to provide flexibility in addition to protection. The forward and rear shells are comprised of a sandwich composite structure of functionally graded material having relatively denser exterior bony layers and an interior bony network of foam layer. Mechanical tests in this research included micro-indentation of the dermal shells using a Vickers hardness tester, and quasi-static compression tests conducted with an Instron 5882 electromechanical test apparatus. The outermost keratin layer and various underneath surfaces including the top, front, side, and bottom planes of the nine-banded armadillo shell were observed by using an SEM, and their chemical compositions were analyzed by an energy dispersive x-ray (EDX) spectroscopy technique, respectively. 1, were investigated by using an optical microscope and a scanning electron microscope (SEM). ![]() ![]() Structures of different locations of the nine-banded armadillo shell including forward, band, and rear shells, as indicated in Fig. The main objective of the present study is to quantify the structure-property relationships of the armadillo shell based on the materials and geometric characteristics. In our study, we are exclusively focusing on the structures, materials properties, and mechanical behavior of the armadillo shell and characterizing its role for protection. ![]() Like many other armadillos, the nine-banded armadillo is covered by outer body armor composed of bone with a covering of keratin-plates of dermal bone covered in relatively small, overlapping epidermal scales called scutes. Typical structure of the nine-banded armadillo’s dermal shells observed in the (a) forward, (b) band, and (c) rear shells.
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