THE ARMADILLO’S PROTECTIVE ARMOR 169 
tion from their numerous enemies. The body is incased in 
a hard shell, composed of small plates of bone very cunningly 
joined together, which covers every portion save the breast 
and abdomen. 
The head is protected by a plate placed on its upper 
surface, and the tail is incased in a chain of bony rings. When 
attacked by a savage animal, the armadillo tucks its legs 
under the edge of the shell alongside its body, rolls into a ball, 
and as nearly as possible leaves nothing exposed save its shell. 
The creature thus becomes a living nut, that is not to be 
cracked and eaten by every enemy that comes along. 
If the shell is strong enough, the armadillo is safe; but 
if it is not strong and hard, or entirely perfect as an en- 
velope, a jaguar or puma may possibly kill the animal and 
devour it. 
The armadillos with the weakest armor have found it 
wise to avoid the forest home of the jaguar and puma, and 
live on the open plains, where they are less liable to be killed. 
To enable them to do this, Nature has provided them with 
long and powerful front claws, with which to dig burrows in 
the hardest soil. 
It was in Argentina that the great armadillos of the past 
reached their highest point in size and abundance. Thence 
smaller species ranged northward, until in southern Texas 
and Arizona we find the northern limit of the group, and the 
only species found in the United States. There are three 
species of armadillos that from time to time appear, alive, 
in zoological parks, the nine-banded, six-banded and three- 
banded. ‘The largest species now living is so rare it is very 
