Editing Armadillo (section)

==Characteristics ==
===Size===
The smallest species of armadillo, the [[pink fairy armadillo]], weighs around {{convert|85|g|oz|abbr=on}} and is {{convert|13|-|15|cm|
|abbr=on}} in total length. The largest species, the [[giant armadillo]], can weigh up to {{convert|54|kg|lb|abbr=on}}, and can be {{convert|150|cm|in|abbr=on}} long.<ref name=NatGeo/>

===Body temperature===
In common with other xenarthrans, armadillos, in general, have low [[Thermoregulation|body temperature]]s of {{convert|33|-|36|C}} and low [[basal metabolic rate]]s (40–60% of that expected in placental mammals of their mass). This is particularly true of types that specialize in using termites as their primary food source (for example, ''[[Priodontes]]'' and ''[[Tolypeutes]]'').<ref name="McNab"/>

===Skin===
The armor is formed by [[plate (anatomy)|plates]] of [[dermal bone]] covered in relatively small overlapping epidermal scales called "[[scute]]s" which are composed of keratin.<ref name=Yates>{{cite web|url=https://biologydictionary.net/armadillo/|title=Armadillo|last=Yates|first=Paige|date=30 October 2020|website=BiologyDictionary.net|publisher=Biology Dictionary|access-date=8 September 2021|quote=The plates of bone are covered in small overlapping epidermal scales called scutes, which are composed of keratin.|archive-date=8 September 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908182815/https://biologydictionary.net/armadillo/|url-status=live}}</ref> The scutes are held together by collagen fibres that can contract to curve following the armadillo's body shape.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Chen |first1=Irene H. |last2=Kiang |first2=James H. |last3=Correa |first3=Victor |last4=Lopez |first4=Maria I. |last5=Chen |first5=Po-Yu |last6=McKittrick |first6=Joanna |last7=Meyers |first7=Marc A. |title=Armadillo armor: Mechanical testing and micro-structural evaluation |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1751616110001888 |journal=Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials |date=July 2011 |volume=4 |issue=5 |pages=713–722 |doi=10.1016/j.jmbbm.2010.12.013}}</ref>{{rp|713–715}} The skin of an armadillo can glow under ultraviolet light.<ref>{{Cite web |last1=Travouillon |first1=Kenny |last2=Cooper |first2=Christine Elizabeth |last3=Bouzin |first3=Jemmy |last4=Umbrello |first4=Linette |last5=Lewis |first5=Simon |last6=Conversation |first6=The |title=From glowing cats to wombats, fluorescent mammals are much more common than you'd think |url=https://phys.org/news/2023-10-cats-wombats-fluorescent-mammals-common.html |access-date=2023-10-06 |website=phys.org |language=en}}</ref>
Most species have rigid shields over the shoulders and hips, with a number of bands separated by flexible skin covering the back and flanks. Additional armor covers the top of the head, the upper parts of the limbs, and the tail. The underside of the animal is never armored and is simply covered with soft skin and fur.<ref name="EoM" /> This armor-like skin appears to be an important defense for many armadillos, although most escape predators by fleeing (often into thorny patches, from which their armor protects them) or digging to safety. Only the South American three-banded armadillos (''[[Tolypeutes]]'') rely heavily on their armor for protection.