Wildlife Guatemala – 9 Facts to Discover About The Armadillo

These armored little guys can be found from northern Argentina to the southern United States. Armadillos are commonly seen in moist soil near the creeks, streams, and arroyos near which it generally lives and feeds. In Guatemala the most comon place to find them is in La Sierra de las Minas, that is in the department of El Progreso. Here are some facts about them:

1. These small animals protect themselves from predators with a leather armor shell.

2. Their average length is 75 centimeters but there have been cases of 1.5 meter armadillos.

3. They also have very big claws, but these are used exclusively to dig for food or home making.

4. The base of their diet is all kinds of insects.

5. They can remain under water for as long as 6 minutes.

6. The armor shell is not their only defense, despite their short legs they can run really fast.

7. They are closely related to ant eaters and sloths.

8. Armadillo is the Spanish word for “little armored one”.

9. These guys are threatened because of the hunting. That is because many cultures in the continent eat armadillo flesh.

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