A Dilly of a 'Dillo

An Avery Madden Crazy Critters Exclusive

Hey there animal fans! Avery here. In Isabel's Texas Two Step, Isabel goes searching for armadillos with her cousin in Texas! But what IS an armadillo, really? We're going to find out in this chat with Sassafras, the nine-banded armadillo -- the only species of armadillo that lives in the United States! Sassafras and most of her relatives are from Texas, but she's also got cousins in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Florida.

Avery Madden: So, Sassafras, there's something I've just been dying to know. Are armadillos reptiles? I mean, you've got scales all over you, so…

Sassafras Armadillo: To tell you the truth, Avery, I'm a mammal. Those scales make up my shell, which has nine bands. It protects me, and it's actually how I got my name. "Armadillo" is Spanish for "armored one."

Avery: Wow, really?

Sassafrass: Sí, sí! When I curl up, nothing can get me! Armadillos are the only mammal that has an exoskeleton.

Avery: An exo-what?

Sassafrass: An exoskeleton. You have your skeleton inside of your skin, but I have one on the inside and on the outside. My shell is made out of bone.

Avery: You know, I think my science teacher mentioned exoskeletons once. Insects have them, right?

Sassafrass: Sí. Speaking of insects, I'm getting kind of hungry.

Avery: You eat bugs? Cool!

Sassafrass: If there are a lot around. We armadillos are pretty chill -- if we can't find what we want, we'll settle for second best. My favorite foods are insects, spiders, and small amphibians, but I'll eat berries and plants, too.

Avery: Now, I know this is a sensitive subject, but is there anything out there that would like to eat you?

Sassafrass: Gotta love that law of the jungle. I have to be on the lookout for pumas, birds of prey, and snakes.

Avery: Yikes! Well, you don't have to worry about my snake, Walter. He's completely harmless. Anyway, Sassafras, do you have any siblings?

Sassafrass: You better believe it! I'm actually a quadruplet. I have three sisters named Tammy, Pammy, and Cammy.

Avery: Wow! Quadruplets! Has People magazine called for a cover shot?

Sassafrass: Nah, it's nothing special. Most armadillos always give birth to identical quadruplets.

Avery: You mean you and your sisters look exactly the same?

Sassafrass: Sí. My sisters and I are so alike, Mom and Dad can't tell us apart most of the time. It drives them crazy!

Avery: So I guess you don't get your own room.

Sassafrass: Nope. I have to share with Tammy, Pammy, and Cammy. Luckily, I don't have to share with my older brothers: Lester, Sylvester, Chester, and Jimbo!

Read more of Avery's Crazy Critters Exclusives:

Chewing the Fat With a Bison

Meeting the Meercat

My Darling Dachshund

The Sphynx Cat -- Exposed!

Tarantulas -- Tough or Timid?

The Big Bad Truth

Good Golly, It's Ollie