THE ARMADILLO. 



LL Armadillos bear the name 

 Fatu in the South American 

 Guarau Indian language. 

 Although the name is of 

 Spanish origin the In- 

 dian term Fatu has also been adopted 

 in European languages, except in the 

 single case of the six-banded species. 

 They are all of more or less similar 

 appearance and habits. They are 

 natives of the southern American 

 belt, extending as far north as Mexico, 

 and the specimen presented here was 

 taken in Texas, where it is occasion- 

 ally found. The Armadillos are at 

 home in sparsely grown and sandy 

 plains, and in fields on the edges of 

 woods, which, however, they never enter. 

 During the breeding season they con- 

 sort together, but at all other times 

 lead solitary lives and show no regard 

 for any living thing except as it may 

 serve for food. 



Singular as it may appear, Armadil- 

 los do not have a regular abiding 

 place, and they frequently change 

 their homes. They can dig a hole in 

 the ground five or six feet deep with 

 such expedition that they are able to 

 have several places of retreat. The 

 hole is circular, at the entrance from 

 eight to twenty-four inches wide, and 

 at the bottom is a snug chamber large 

 enough for them to turn around in. 

 They are great night rovers and seldom 

 move about by daylight, the glaring 

 sunlight dazing them. When seen 

 during the day it is always in rainy 

 weather when the sky is overcast. It 

 has been shown that Armadillos exca- 

 vate their burrows under the hills of 

 Ants or Termites, where they are able 

 to gather their principal food with the 

 greatest convenience by day as well as 

 by night. Besides the foregoing they 

 eat Caterpillars, Lizards, and Earth- 

 worms and are thus advantageous to 

 the husbandman. Plants also consti- 



tute a part of their diet. 



Armadillos are not agile but are 

 remarkably muscular. It is said, to 

 avoid their enemies they can cut their 

 way into the earth in places which a 

 hoe wielded by a strong man can 

 pierce with difficulty. The Fatu 

 needs only three minutes to drive a 

 tunnel exceeding the length of its own 

 body. The strongest man is incapable 

 of pulling it out by the tail. Once in 

 its hole, it is always secure from Dogs. 

 When it is seized by Dogs, it never 

 defends itself in any way. This is 

 probably not from cowardice, but be- 

 cause it believes itself secure from 

 danger. 



Best of all,the Armadillo is a useful 

 animal. The Indians are fond of 

 nearly all the species. While it has 

 an unpleasant odor of musk, it can be 

 prepared for the table ; and some think 

 it one of the most palatable of dishes. 

 One of the species can roll itself into 

 a ball, which, however, it does only in 

 extremity. 



In captivity Armadillos are usually 

 put in cages with Monkeys, who, if 

 they do not precisely reduce them to 

 servitude, at least use them as play- 

 things. The Monkeys ride their backs 

 sportively, turn them over, without 

 the danger they might experience from 

 Turtles, who are less harmless, and 

 cause them no end of worry. The 

 Armadillo, with all his coat of mail, 

 has a fur lining on his belly, and 

 the experienced Dog quickly turns it 

 over and makes short work of the 

 apparently invulnerable quadruped. 

 The Dog quickly crunches the thin 

 armour and leaves the poor beast life- 

 less. Only the powerful digging claws 

 which might, one would think, be 

 used in his own defense, remain to tell 

 the tale of the only means which nature 

 has seemed to provide him with against 

 his ememies. 



146 



