FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!
Quiz about Armadillos for Dummies
Quiz about Armadillos for Dummies

Armadillos for Dummies! Trivia Quiz


I hope you enjoy the quiz. Armadillos are really quite amazing!

A multiple-choice quiz by Bheth. Estimated time: 4 mins.
  1. Home
  2. »
  3. Quizzes
  4. »
  5. Animal Trivia
  6. »
  7. Wild Mammals
  8. »
  9. Xenarthrans (Sloth, Anteater, etc)

Author
Bheth
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
369,368
Updated
Jun 06 23
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
260
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Are all armadillos pretty much the same size?


Question 2 of 10
2. Armadillos are mostly found in South America. How did the nine-banded armadillo get to North America? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. For what does the armadillo use its long, sharp claws? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. In what language does "armadillo" mean "little armored one"? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Armadillos are able to contract a disease that most animals can't, making them a useful animal for scientific research. What is the disease? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. How does the armadillo stay afloat? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. What do most armadillos of the genus Dasypus have in common with the parents of the Smith quadruplets? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. What can you make from an armadillo shell? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. What do Smaug the dragon and North American armadillos have in common? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Why does the North American nine-banded armadillo frequently end up as road kill? Hint



(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

arrow Select a User ID:
arrow Choose a Password:
arrow Your Email:




Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Are all armadillos pretty much the same size?

Answer: no

Armadillos range in size from the endangered little "pink fairy armadillo", weighing in at 85 g (3 oz), to the whopping "giant armadillo", which can weigh about the same as a small pig (54 kg, or 120 lbs).

Those who eat armadillo describe the flavor as being very similar to pork. I find it refreshing that they don't say it "tastes like chicken!" However it tastes, this is one meat that is extremely unsafe to eat fashionably rare.
2. Armadillos are mostly found in South America. How did the nine-banded armadillo get to North America?

Answer: They migrated using the Isthmus of Panama

During the Pleistocene era, the nine-banded armadillo migrated into North America via the Isthmus of Panama. Because their armor is so effective the animal is rarely threatened by predators, so the armadillo's North American range is constantly expanding. All extant species of armadillo are still found in South America.

Perhaps they'll even make it to sunny California someday, but they don't do well in cold weather, so getting over the Rocky Mountains could be a problem. Even short periods of cold weather can kill an armadillo.
3. For what does the armadillo use its long, sharp claws?

Answer: To dig for food and to dig dens

An armadillo's diet consists mostly of insects which it digs out of the ground. Some species are picky eaters, and only go for ants and termites, but most will also eat fruits and veggies, small vertebrates, and carrion. Armadillos dig snug burrows, only as wide as the width of their bodies, since the solitary animals don't bunk up together.

The armadillo's burrowing habits land it firmly in the "destructive pests" category. Their search for food leaves behind holes and mounds on lawns and can even kill young orchard trees. Solutions range from calling in a professional exterminator or trapper (best bait to trap them with is earthworms), to home remedies such as mixing equal parts ammonia and human pee, adding red pepper flakes, and sprinkling it all over your yard. This mixture also repels visitors and attracts social workers.
4. In what language does "armadillo" mean "little armored one"?

Answer: Spanish

Armadillos have a leathery shell consisting of overlapping, dermal-bone scales called scutes. It serves the same purpose as plate armor worn by medieval knights, except knights couldn't roll up inside their armor to present an impregnable ball to the enemy! Not all armadillos can roll themselves up; only one species, the South American three-banded armadillo, can actually perform that cartoon trick.
5. Armadillos are able to contract a disease that most animals can't, making them a useful animal for scientific research. What is the disease?

Answer: Hansen's disease, better known as leprosy

The armadillo's low body temperature (34 °C (93 °F)) provides the perfect environment for the leprosy bacterium, Mycobacterium leprae. It is possible to contract leprosy from eating armadillo meat or handling the animals.

Armadillos can also be a host for Chagas disease. Many now believe that the symptoms that tormented Charles Darwin were due to Chagas disease; he did not contract it from an armadillo, but from the more usual source: a "kissing bug".
6. How does the armadillo stay afloat?

Answer: They swallow air

Because of the heavy shell, an armadillo would sink unless it could do something to increase its buoyancy. The animal swallows air, inflating its stomach to twice normal size. This allows the armadillo to swim across small streams and ponds. They can also stay completely submerged for up to six minutes.
7. What do most armadillos of the genus Dasypus have in common with the parents of the Smith quadruplets?

Answer: Giving birth to four identical young

In other words, four monozygotic young! Most armadillos give birth to from one to eight young, but armadillos of the genus Dasypus usually give birth to a litter of four genetically identical young. This is also a boon to research scientists who need to use identical test animals for certain experiments.

The Smith quads were born in Kinsale, Ireland in 1750, and didn't have a chance to hear The Who's "QUADrophenia".
8. What can you make from an armadillo shell?

Answer: A ten-stringed Andean musical instrument, called the 'charango'

The back of the charango was traditionally made from a dried armadillo shell, the front and neck from wood. Now the entire guitar-shaped instrument is made from wood, which produces a better tone. The five pairs of strings are tuned in the "my dog has fleas" ukelele style, with an additional pair of E strings (GCEAE).

You may wonder about the sweet music made by live armadillos. Depending on the species, they can produce soft hissing noises, grunts, snarls, and screams. The "screaming hairy armadillo" makes a very loud noise that sounds like a cross between a duck's quack and a pig's squeal.
9. What do Smaug the dragon and North American armadillos have in common?

Answer: The only spot not covered in armor is on their undersides

Armadillos are only armored on top; underneath, the skin is soft and covered with fur.

Smaug, the dragon from J.R.R. Tolkein's "The Hobbit", is armored in dragon scales above, and with an incrustation of jewels below... except for one small patch, not as wide as a church door, but large enough to accommodate the arrow that kills him!
10. Why does the North American nine-banded armadillo frequently end up as road kill?

Answer: They jump up when startled instead of sideways

Armadillos have a keen sense of smell, but they can't see very well. So there they are, walking across the highway, and suddenly the Peterbilt they didn't see coming is right on top of them. The armadillo jumps... not sideways, but straight up... and now it's part of the truck's undercarriage. By the time it falls off it's a bit worse for wear, and then all those wheels... oh, the humanity!

This penchant for getting squished by motor vehicles has earned the armadillo a cruel, but hilarious, nickname: "Hillbilly Speed Bump!"
Source: Author Bheth

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor guitargoddess before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
3/28/2024, Copyright 2024 FunTrivia, Inc. - Report an Error / Contact Us