All armadillo species are nocturnal. I’ve seen them foraging by the highway long about dusk on many a road trip in the south. I always say a little prayer for them so they don’t wander out on the road. The thing about armadillos is one of their reactions to danger is to jump straight up in the air, so even if a car would normally pass safely over them, with the dillo between the wheels, they are still killed because of their own defense mechanism.

Armadillos have kind of flat heads on top. Their tongue is a long one that can be extended to lap up all those delightful insects. Most kinds have around 14 to 18 teeth in each of their jaws, which seems like plenty when you mostly live on little squiggly things. 

They have forelimbs that are developed for a digging lifestyle, and they are great burrowers, much to the chagrin of many gardeners who happen to live in armadillo country. Their digging serves the dual purpose of finding food and having nice burrows to escape down if they’re being pursued.

Have you a friend as fascinated by these little mammals as I am? She may really need these 14k gold armadillo earrings for her next birthday gift! Just a thought.

 

Another nocturnal favorite are my flying bat gold earrings which come from my wildlife earrings cast in 14k gold series.