Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Superorder: Xenarthra
Order: Cingulata
Of the twenty species of armadillo that exist throughout the Americas, the nine-banded armadillo is the only one found in the United States. When startled, the nine-banded armadillo can jump straight upward about three to four feet into the air. This reflex may help scare off predators in the wild. Unfortunately, many armadillos are killed when they jump into the underside of moving vehicles.
Armadillos can cross bodies of water in two ways. They can:
1. inflate their stomachs and intestines with air and float across the water, or,
2. sink down and use their sharp claws to walk across the bottom.
They can hold their breath for six minutes or more!
The nine-banded armadillo always gives birth to same gender quadruplets from a single egg. For this reason, it serves science well with its unusual reproductive system. Because they are always genetically 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.
The Latin name for the nine-banded armadillo is Dasypus novemcinctus. The word Dasypus is derived from the Latin word for rabbit, Novem means nine and cinctus means band. Literally, it translates to "nine-banded rabbit." It is said that armadillos without their shells resemble rabbits.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Flying Fox
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Suborder: Megachiroptera
Family: Pteropodidae
Genus: Pteropus
Despite the appearance of these large bats and their reputation in horror movies as blood-sucking vampires, the Flying Fox is in fact frugivorous and is not dangerous to humans.
Like most bats, the Flying Fox is social and nocturnal. They roost together at a camp during the day and feed at night.
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Chiroptera
Suborder: Megachiroptera
Family: Pteropodidae
Genus: Pteropus
Photo Credit: Markus Nolf
Despite the appearance of these large bats and their reputation in horror movies as blood-sucking vampires, the Flying Fox is in fact frugivorous and is not dangerous to humans.
Like most bats, the Flying Fox is social and nocturnal. They roost together at a camp during the day and feed at night.
Photo Credit: Daniel Vianna
The Flying Fox is typically around 16 inches long with a wingspan of up to 5 feet. These giants can also weigh 2+ pounds each. The name Flying Fox comes from the bat's head resemblence to a fox, with small ears, pointed nose and large eyes. They live in the tropics of Asia and Australia and on islands in both the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Labels:
flying bats,
flying foxes,
fruit bat
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