- Armoured mammals found mainly in tropical and subtropical regions of Central and South America.
- The size of armadillos varies considerably, from about 16 cm (6 inches) up to about 1.5 metres (5 feet) long
- Armadillos live in temperate and warm habitats, including rain forests, grasslands, and semi-deserts.
- They have bony plates called the carapace that cover the back, head, legs, and tail
- Armadillos have a wide range of colours. They can be pink, red, black, grey or yellow.
- Armadillos generally have a pointy or shovel-shaped snout and small eyes
- Armadillos live alone, in pairs, or in small groups
- Most species dig burrows and sleep up to 16 hours per day, emerging from their burrows primarily at night
- They use their keen sense of smell to locate food like beetles, ants, termites, and other insects, small vertebrates, plants, and some fruit
- When threatened, they retreat into their burrows or, if caught in the open, draw in their feet so that their armour touches the ground. Three-banded armadillos (Tolypeutes) are able to roll into a solid ball as a means of protecting their vulnerable underparts
- During cold times, a group of armadillos may hunker down in a burrow together to share body heat
