Nine-banded armadillo

Description:

Armadillos are New World placental mammals with a leathery armor shell. The Dasypodidae are the only surviving family in the order Cingulata, part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo means "little armored one" in Spanish.

Habitat:

Seen in the secondary rainforest at Selva Verde Lodge, Costa Rica.

Notes:

Twice on my travels in Costa Rica i came across a group of Amadillos. Always 4 in the group, and I wondered if they were blind, as they took absolutely no notice of me. One actually brushed against my leg without noticing anything, as it went past. It was as if I didn't exist! They chattered amongst themselves and mostly had their noses buried in the leaf litter or dirt, looking for food.