Animals in armor
If you saw a pangolin you might say it looked like a pine cone with legs
and a tail.
A pangolin is one of the animals that is protected by armor. It’s
covered with scales like the scales on a pine cone, only bigger. When a
pangolin is frightened it rolls itself into a ball. It tucks its head
between its legs and covers its stomach with its tail. Its sharp-edged
scales stick up. Not even a tiger would care to try to bite through
them.
The armadillo is another animal in armor. In fact, the word armadillo
means little armored thing. Armadillos are born with soft skin. But as
they grow, their skins become covered with small, flat pieces of bone.
This bony armor covers an armadillo’s back, sides, head, tail, and the
insides of its legs. The armadillo protects itself by rolling into a
ball as the pangolin does. Then it’s a hard, bony ball that a wolf or
bobcat finds hard to bite.
Hedgehog
(above) Hedgehogs are protected by a covering of sharp stickers, or
spines, (right) Armadillos can’t fight well. They need their armor to
protect them from animals that might eat them.
Nine-Banded Armadillo
Porcupines, hedgehogs, porcupine fish, and sea urchins wear a sort of
armor, too. Their bodies are covered with sharp stickers that keep other
animals from biting them.
Pangolins, armadillos, porcupines, hedgehogs, and sea urchins can’t run
fast, hide, or fight well. Wearing armor helps them stay alive.
