Our realistic-looking armadillo is a winner. It looks like the real thing and is a wonderful educational toy, useful for shoebox dioramas and other school projects, a collector's item, a gift for your favorite amadillo fan, and more. Made of solid, rubbery plastic, it measures 6 1/2 inches from its nose to the end of its tail. The body (nose to rear) is just over 4 1/2 inches, and it stands about 2 1/4 inches tall. The body is moulded with a scaly pattern and details that almost make it seem real. Its underside is painted light tan/gray and the claws are black. Even the bottoms of the feet are painted and detailed. Its name is NOT moulded into the underside as it is on some lines of plastic animals. Be sure to see our other armadillo toys and gifts.
Nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) such as the one you see here have been moving north from South America for the past three million years. Armadillos originated in South America about 50 million years ago, and the nine-banded moved north, crossing the Panamanian land bridge. It is the only armadillo species found in the US, where its range continues to expand. As the armadillo actually has teeth, it is no longer classed as Edentata ("without teeth") but is now usually grouped with the Xenarthra. We have left our armadillo on the Edentates page, because these are still its closest relatives. There are 20 species of armadillo living in Central and South America. Armadillos dig for grubs and create burrows near water with their powerful feet and claws. In addition to grubs, they also eat other insects and invertibrates. These interesting, inoffensive creatures can be seen along roadsides, trails, and streams (where you can see into the brush), usually around dawn and dusk.
Your purchase of
stuffed animals,
plastic animals,
and other toys and gifts from
Tapir and Friends Wildlife World
helps preserve endangered species
and their habitats
All tapirs are endangered species
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P.O. Box 118, Astoria, Oregon 97103, USA
Office phone / fax (503) 325-3179 ~ Cell phone (503) 338-8646
