Armadillo

◎供稿：Nina

在整个自然界中，有无数种奇特的生物存在，无论是我们熟知的，还是连名字都叫不上来的。那么，我们今天就来探讨一下犰狳，看看它究竟是一种什么样的动物吧!

The name Armadillo is Spanish and means “little armoured one”. It refers to the bony plates that cover the back, head, legs, and tail of most of these odd looking1)creature［΄kriːtʃə(r)］n. 动物；生物creatures. Armadillos are the only living2)mammal［΄mæml］n.［脊椎］哺乳动物mammalsthat wear such shells.

There are around 20 species of Armadillo found in North and South America in various3)habitat［΄hæbItæt］n. 栖息地；产地habitatsfrom4)tropical［΄trɒpIkl］adj. 热带的tropicalrainforests to dry savannas and grasslands.Armadillos are small placental mammals that measure between 13-150

centimetres and weigh between 85 grams -54 kilograms depending on species.Armadillos have a wide range of colors. They can be pink, red, black, gray or yellow.

Most species dig5)burrow［΄bʌrəʊ］v. 挖地洞；挖穿；钻入burrowsand sleep prolifically, up to 16 hours per day,foraging in the early morning and evening for beetles, ants,6)termite［΄tзːmaIt］n.［昆］白蚁termites, and other insects. They have very poor eyesight, and7)utilize［΄juːtəlaIz］v. 利用utilizetheir keen sense of smell to hunt. Strong legs and huge front claws are used for digging, and long, sticky tongues for8)extract［΄ekstrækt］v. 提取；提炼extractingants and termites from their tunnels. In addition to bugs,armadillos eat small vertebrates, plants, and some fruit.

犰狳这个名字是西班牙语，意思是“小装甲”，是指覆盖这些奇特生物的大多数背部、头部、腿部和尾部的骨板。犰狳是唯一有这种壳的现存哺乳动物。

在北美和南美，从热带雨林到干旱的热带稀树草原和草原，在各种栖息地中发现了大约20种犰狳。犰狳是一种小型的胎盘哺乳动物，其大小在13至150厘米之间，重量在85克至54千克之间，视种类而定。犰狳有多种颜色。它们可以是粉红色、红色、黑色、灰色或黄色。

大多数犰狳每天挖洞，它们一天甚至可睡16个小时，并在清晨和傍晚觅食甲虫、蚂蚁、白蚁和其他昆虫。他们的视力很差，并且利用敏锐的嗅觉来狩猎，坚固的腿和巨大的前爪用于挖掘，长而黏的舌头用于从其隧道中抓获蚂蚁和白蚁。除臭虫外，犰狳还食用小型脊椎动物、植物和一些水果。