TripleFunBooks

Fun Facts

Avoiding Danger

Ask an armadillo

What it's like to be a ball

Armadillo means "little armored one" in Spanish. There is one armadillo that can bend its protective armor into a perfect sphere to roll away from trouble. (Other types of armadillos have too many armored plates that don't bend as perfectly.)

While the three-banded variety is the only armadillo that can pull off this neat trick, there are several other mammals that also protect themselves by rolling into a ball. These include some species of hedgehogs, pangolins and porcupines.

​

The armadillos with too much armor take a much different approach to danger than the three-banded variety. They jump straight up in the air when frightened. This is a particularly ineffective defense when the thing that scared them is an oncoming truck.

​

Though it's true that even a three-banded armadillo in a ball is no match for a moving vehicle.

​​

​

Benefits of Touching Your Toes

We can bend down to the floor

And grab ahold of our toes

Reaching down to the floor from a standing position does more than just stretch out your lower back and the back of your legs. Done regularly, it can improve your flexibility. Being more flexible helps reduce your risk of injuries while making it easier to move.

This simple stretch can also improve your balance and help you stand up straighter. (Which seems odd that bending over can help you be more upright.)

​

Here is an exercise you can do in less than one minute:

1) Count to five slowly as you bend down and touch your toes. Exhale the whole time.

2) Slowly stand back up for another count of five. Inhale the whole time.

3) Repeat five times.

​

Take several of these one-minute stretch breaks throughout your day to improve your circulation and reduce stress. It's an easy way to help you focus better and get more done!

​

​

Keratin

Tucking legs and tail within scaly plates

An armadillo's armor is made of bony plates—called osteoderms. These cover its head, body, legs and tail.

Each plate is covered in overlapping rows of scales called scutes (pronounced "skoots"). And these scutes are made of keratin.

​

What is keratin? It's a protein that has lots of fibers that support structures such as an armadillo's scales. And your fingernails. And your toenails. And your hair. 

​

So you might not be able to roll into a perfect ball like an armadillo, but you do have something in common with this odd animal.​