Armadillos In Science

Armadillos are often used in the study of leprosy , since they, along with mangabey monkeys , rabbits , and mice (on their footpads), are among the few known non-human animal species that can contract the disease systemically. They are particularly susceptible, due to their unusually low body temperature, which is hospitable to the leprosy bacterium ( Mycobacterium leprae ).

The Nine-banded Armadillo also serves science through its unusual reproductive system, in which four identical quadruplets (all the same sex) are born in each clutch. Because they are always identical, the group of four young provides a good subject for scientific, behavioral or medical tests that need consistent biological and genetic makeup in the test subjects. This phenomenon of multiple identical birth, called polyembryony , only manifests in the genus Dasypus and not in all armadillos, as is commonly believed.

There is controversy over animal experimentation .

Armadillos and Humans

The armadillo was, over some resistance, made the state small mammal of Texas where it is considered a pest, and usually seen flattened on the roadside. In Maine, it is illegal to own an armadillo.

Armadillos can be kept as pets, although they require moist ground in which to dig and catch insects. They are difficult to domesticate fully.