Go Long
This photo gives me some insight as to why Texans are so into their football. This man isn't palming some pigskin - no, he's holding a curled-up armadillo for the camera. There are several types of armadillos - seven-banded & nine-banded, for instance - but I can't count the bands on this one, so I don't know if he's from Texas or not. Wherever this one is from, he'll most likely end up being thrown around at the next game.They're armored for their protection, of course. Unfortunately, they haven't upgraded to kevlar recently. They are often found flattened on the roadside. Be careful out there, people!Thanks for the photo, Patrizio.
UPDATE: A reader has identified this as a three-banded armadillo - the only armadillo that can ball itself up. Thanks.
It's most likely a three banded armadillo, which are the only armadillos that can roll themselves into a ball. They live in S. America around Brazil, Paraguay, Bolivia, etc.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the proper ID, anonymous.
ReplyDeleteAlthough uncommon, armadillos DO carry leprosy. More so the nine banded type, but I would still avoid playing bowls with them.
ReplyDeleteHoly moly, anonymous, you're right. I had no idea. Once study showed that one in six armadillos in Texas and Louisiana carried leprosy!
ReplyDeleteDuring the 70's in Louisiana a LSU graduate student was doing a study of Amadillos and was paying $10 a head for them. The reason you see so many dead Dillos is because even when you swerve to miss them if the wheels miss them they will jump up to 3' high and are hit by the undercarrige of the vehicle no matter how high of the ground it is.
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