Battleships: animals - contemporaries of dinosaurs

Battleships - relic animals, contemporaries of dinosaurs. Once it was a huge family, now in nature there are only a few species. Their sizes also changed: glyptodonts, the largest known representative, was the size of a modern rhinoceros. Now they do not reach even one and a half meters in length, and the average height is thirty centimeters.

The battleship (the pictures are presented) got its name thanks to the shell of hard plates, reminiscent of knightly armor. Hence the Spanish name of the animal - armadillo (dressed in armor). Parts of the body that are outside the shell are covered with wrinkled, warty skin.

The family is divided into species primarily by the number of belts in the shell: nine-fold, seven-ligated, three-ligated. "Belts" are joined to each other by a connecting cloth, which provides the animal with relative flexibility. The most flexible is three-ply: it curls up like our forest hedgehogs. In addition, species vary in size. The smallest animal is the guardian: the length is only thirteen centimeters.

The most common type is the 9-fold battleship. It is about fifty centimeters long, and weighs from four to eight kilograms.

The battleship lives mainly in South and Central America. Prefers fields and sandy plains, digs deep holes. Nine-minute are less whimsical than other species: do not disdain bushes, climb to the mountains up to three kilometers. They are more likely than others to migrate: it was this species that colonized Texas, the other southern states of the United States, and continues to move north.

Battleships - animals with a short life. Nine lumbago live about four years. Animals have developed musculature. Despite the shell, they quickly run, stand on their hind legs and even jump in place. But their main way to escape from danger is to quickly dig into the ground.

Battleships are night animals. During the day they sleep, and during the dark hours they hunt. Their main delicacy is ants. In addition to insects and larvae, the diet includes shoots and fruits of plants, mushrooms, small lizards and frogs. Animals belong to the incomplete teeth: this unit lacks fangs and tooth enamel. They have an excellent nose and very weak eyesight. The armadillo has one more advantage: it consumes little air and is able to hold its breath for a long time. Due to this feature, the animal is an excellent swimmer and very well cope with excavation.

The litter of the battleship is most often composed of four cubs, which are identical twins. They are born with a soft skin covering, which after a while becomes bony and turns into armor. Kids appear in the light with their eyes open, after a few hours they stand on their feet, for a year they fully mature.

Battleships are animals that are prone to leprosy. It is a disease of a relatively small number of mammals. The risk group includes people, monkeys, mice. The battleships tested therapeutic drugs for this serious disease, which is still widespread in tropical countries.