Describe armadillo skin/armor, and how it helps the animal

A Shield of Armor
Just like any other wild animal, an armadillo also has skin. However, the skin of armadillos is unique and different from the skin of other wild animals. An armadillo’s skin is more of a shield of armor than regular skin. The skin of this odd animal has several interesting characteristics. An armadillo’s skin plays a very important role in the life of that odd animal. Armadillos are threatened throughout their whole life by animals such as dogs, cats, and other animals. Even humans are a threat to dillos. This is why armadillos developed covered topside as well as sharp claws that allow them to dig deep into the ground without being threatened or vulnerable. Armadillos generally live a solitary life and they tend to avoid dangerous situations as much as they can.

Bands
Armadillos are highly recognizable for their bands that are prominent on them. It is the bands on armadillos that help us identify different species of armadillos. There are nearly 20 types of armadillos out there and every type of armadillos has a different number of bands. The bands on an armadillo’s body always overlap each other and follow a flexible shell. This flexibility is only seen in several types of armadillos and it allows such armadillos to curl up into the shape of a ball if they feel threatened. In between each band that can be found on armadillo’s skin soft skin can be found that can contract and expand.

Armadillo’s Shell Anatomy
An armadillo’s body may look to people like armor, but it isn’t armor. It is actually a special form of skin. Although an armadillo’s shell may look thick to you, it actually isn’t thick at all. Instead, it is very thin and it prevents armadillos to control their core temperature. If armadillos could speak, they would curse their skin.

An Armadillo’s Armor
The top of an armadillo’s head is always covered with something vets and wildlife professionals call scutes. Scutes are actually a type of hardened skin and it is found on an armadillo’s head. Every armadillo has scutes on the top of their head. However, not only is their head protected with scutes, but also their limbs are protected by scutes. The color of an armadillo’s armor is usually gray or black. However, there is one type of armadillo called pink fairy armadillo that has a pink armor.