One species of armadillos always bears quadruplets, which are all identical and are the result of a single fertilized egg. The nine-banded armadillo, named for the number of tough scaled bands on its outer coating, is the only one of the approximately 20 species of armadillos that lives in the US and is the main type that gives birth only to quadruplets. Other armadillo litters might range from one to 12 offspring and are not necessarily identical multiples. Mating for the nine-banded armadillo generally occurs in late summer or early autumn, and the quadruplets are born in the spring.
More about armadillos:
- Armadillos show fear by stopping in their tracks and jumping straight into the air, reaching heights of as much as 4 feet (1.22 m).
- Humans have been known to eat armadillo as a cheaper meat source; in fact, during the Great Depression, some Americans referred to armadillo meat as "Hoover hog" after US President Herbert Hoover, whom they blamed for the economic crisis.
- Armadillos live in burrows that are 5 feet (1.5 m) deep and have as many as 12 points of entry.
