Post #14330

Three-banded Armadillo: It can cause panic even in pumas and jaguars. Active defense mechanism Nothing protects against unwanted bites better than a thick layer of armor on the butt. And on the back, and on the head would also be nice. The three-belted battleship cut through this chip. Moreover, he learned to defend himself in such a way that the most terrible predators on the continent are afraid of him! The environment is very stimulating for such tricks. Around the tiny armadillo are the arid scrub plains, woodlands and semi-deserts of South America, located in the very heart of the continent. You can’t hide in a thicket, you can’t escape on your own four feet. The brave animal decides to withstand the blow of any predator. An armadillo cannot give an epic fight - the animal easily fits in your hand. Instead, it takes its toll by starvation and the effect of surprise. At the sight of an enemy, the three-banded armadillo begins to identify itself as an ideal figure in the eyes of a mathematician - a ball. This is the only type of armadillo that can curl up completely and form an all-round defense. Other armored insectivores have too many plates that make up their protective carapace. They cannot bend and unbend so plastically purely physically. In this position, behind a keratin shell several centimeters thick, all vulnerable spots are covered: the stomach, muzzle, eyes, paws. Chopping a smooth armored ball for a kilogram of meat and bones is a long, laborious and thankless undertaking. The armadillo can only wait until the predator gets tired of this useless leisure time. In addition to passive protection, our hero also invented active protection. It's called "fright slash". The animal does not immediately curl up when it sees a predator. He cunningly waits for the right moment. As soon as the enemy is right in front of his nose, the armadillo jumps up with a hiss and curls up into a ball. Such tricks scare even the toughest predators in America: pumas and jaguars! Their instincts scream at them: “This is something incomprehensible! We have to cut our claws!” and the beast retreats in horror, never realizing what happened. Meanwhile, the armadillo turns around and begins his daily routine. Even every day - the animal gets out into the world under the cover of darkness. In their forays, armadillos make destructive raids on termite megacities and anthills. Their arrival is like a local end of the world - the walls will collapse from the blows of powerful claws, thousands of insects will perish in their mouths. They will be pulled away by a giant sticky tongue 15 cm long. This is more than half the body length of the entire armadillo! When the sun rises, the armadillo goes underground. It does not dig a den for itself; it inhabits the abandoned holes of other animals. Although, if he really needs it, he can build a small hole, the tools allow him. The baby's paws have a stunning manicure - the claws are up to 6 cm long! B