"He lives down in the hot Southwest where Piggy the Peccary lives.
His coat of shell is yellowish in color and is divided in the middle
of his body into nine narrow bands or joints. Because of this he
is called the Nine-banded Armadillo. In the countries to the south
of this he has a cousin with three bands and another with six.
Hardshell's head is very long and he carries it pointed straight
down. His small eyes are set far back, and at the top of his head
are rather large upright ears. The shell of his tail is divided
into many jointed rings so that he can move it at will.
"His tongue is long and sticky. This is so that he can run it
out for some distance and sweep up the Ants and insects on which
he largely lives. His eyesight and hearing are not very good,
and having such a heavy, stiff coat he is a poor runner. But he
is a good digger. This means, of course, that he makes his home
in a hole in the ground. When frightened he makes for this, but
if overtaken by an enemy he rolls up into a ball and is safe from
all save those with big and strong enough teeth to break through
the joints of his shell. He eats some vegetable matter and is
accused of eating the eggs of ground-nesting birds, and of dead
decayed flesh he may find. However, his food consists chiefly of
Ants, insects of various kinds, and worms.
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