3904 THE LIVING ANIMALS OF THE WORLD 
The bony armour is disposed over the crown of the head, back, and flanks. It is made up 
of numerous small, bony plates, buried deep in the skin, and each overlaid by a horny scale. 
The tail is protected by bony rings. The plates covering the shoulders and those directly over 
the hindquarters fuse into a solid mass, thus forming chambers into which the limbs can be 
withdrawn. In the region of the body, between these two shields, the plates are arranged in 
rows encircling the body, thus permitting the animal to roll itself up as occasion may require. 
Hairs grow out between the plates, and in some cases give the animal quite a furry appearance. 
Speaking of the burrowing powers of the armadillo, Darwin, in his most fascinating ‘“Voyage 
of the Beagle,” tells us that “the instant one was perceived, it was 
necessary, in order to catch it, almost to tumble off one’s horse; for 
in soft soil the animal burrowed so quickly that its hinder quarters 
would almost disappear before one could alight. It seems almost a pity 
to kill such nice little animals; for as a Gaucho said, while sharpening 
his knife on the back of one, ‘Son tan mansos’ (They are so quiet).” 
As arule, armadillos are regarded as animals loving dry, sandy wastes; 
nevertheless, they are said to be able to swim both well and swiftly. 
The flesh of the armadillo is apparently by no means unpalatable. 
THE PICHICIAGO 
One of the most remarkable of the armadillos is the PICHICIAGO, or 
Fairy ARMADILLO. It is a tiny creature of some § inches long, found in 
the sandy wastes of the western part of the Argentine Republic. The 
horny covering of the bony plates is pinkish colour, and the hair is 
silky in texture and snow-white. But it is not on this 
account that the fairy armadillo is remarkable: its claim 
to notoriety rests on the peculiar arrangement of the 
bony plates constituting the armour.. These bony plates 
are small and thin, and covered, as in other species, with 
a horny coat; but instead of being embedded in the 
skin, they are attached only along the middle of 
the back, and project freely over the body on either 
side, leaving a space between the shield and the 
body. The hinder end of the body is specially 
protected by a nearly circular vertical shield, firmly 
fixed to the hip-girdle. This shield, it is said, is 
used as a plug to fill up its burrow with. 
Photo by A. S. kudland & Suns 
THE PELUDO 
TWO-_-TOED ANT-EATER A dill f * 
Although the fore feet have four toes, only the second and third rmadillos of the normal type, wherein the body 
Daan eliaies: Hansa We puire™™ Teco toed” antaaier armour is embedded in the skin, are represented by 
numerous species. Of one, known as the PELUDO, 
Mr. Hudson has given us some interesting details. ‘It feeds,” he tells us, “not only upon insects, 
but also upon vegetable matter, eggs, young birds, and carrion. Its method of capturing mice 
was certainly ingenious. It hunted by smell, and when nearing its prey became greatly agitated. 
The exact spot discovered, the body was raised slowly to a sitting posture, and then flung 
suddenly forwards, so that the mouse or nest of mice was imprisoned beneath, and promptly 
dispatched.” “Still more remarkable,” says Mr. Lydekker, * is the manner in which a peludo 
has been observed to kill a snake, by rushing upon it and proceeding to saw the unfortunate 
reptile in pieces by pressing upon it closely with the jagged edges of its armour, and at the 
same time moving its body backwards and forwards. The struggles of the snake were all in 
vain, as its fangs could make no impression upon the panoply of its assailant, and eventually 
the reptile slowly dropped and died, to be soon afterwards devoured by the armadillo, which 
commenced the meal by seizing the snake’s tail in its mouth, and gradually eating forwards.” 
