Here's Lookiin At You is a photograph by Julie Cameron which was uploaded on January 27th, 2013.
Here's Lookiin At You
After weeks of hiking in parks and reserves looking for armadillos, I spotted this one on the way to a doctors appointment. He was only two blocks... more
Title
Here's Lookiin At You
Artist
Julie Cameron
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
After weeks of hiking in parks and reserves looking for armadillos, I spotted this one on the way to a doctors appointment. He was only two blocks from my house. I quickly put the car in park, grabbed my camera, smiled at my daughter, who as usual was laughing and jumped out of the car. I then carefully crossed to the side of the street farthest form the armadillo. I carefully looked away form the armadillo as I walked up the street toward him. Once I was hidden by a tree I moved back across the street and slowly made my way to the tree. Then I started shooting as this fat little armadillo happily rooted around the grass. He finally turned toward me. I took this shot of his face holding my breath for fear he would see me and run before I got the shot. To me armadillos look like a prehistoric animal, with their short legs and armor. But this guy has such a funny face and cute ears. His pink nose wiggles kind of like a bunnies. - Julie
Armadillos are New World, placental mammals with a leathery armor shell. The word armadillo means "little armored one" in Spanish. The Aztecs called them āyōtōchtli, Nahuatl for “turtle-rabbit”. Armadillos are found primarily in South and Central America, One species, the nine-banded armadillo, is found in the United States, primarily in the south-central states (notably Texas), but with a range that extends as far east as South Carolina and Florida, and as far north as Nebraska and midwestern Kansas. Their range has consistently expanded in North America over the last century due to a lack of natural predators. They have been found as far north as southern Illinois. They are prolific diggers. Many species use their sharp claws to dig for food, such as grubs, and to dig dens. The nine-banded armadillo prefers to build burrows in moist soil near the creeks, streams, and arroyos around which it lives and feeds. The diets of different armadillo species vary, but consist mainly of insects, grubs, and other invertebrates. Some species, however, feed almost entirely on ants and termites. This armor-like skin appears to be the main defense of many armadillos, although most escape predators by fleeing (often into thorny patches, from which their armor protects them) or digging to safety. The North American nine-banded armadillo tends to jump straight in the air when surprised, and consequently often collides with the undercarriage or fenders of passing vehicles.Armadillos have short legs, but can move quite quickly, and have the ability to remain under water for as long as six minutes. Because of the density of its armor, an armadillo will sink in water unless it swallows air, inflating its stomach to twice normal size and raising its buoyancy above that of water, allowing it to swim across narrow streams and ditches.[8]
Armadillos have very poor eyesight, and use their keen sense of smell to hunt.[9] They use their claws for digging and finding food, as well as for making their homes in burrows. They dig their burrows with their claws, making only a single corridor the width of the animal's body. They have five clawed toes on their hind feet, and three to five toes with heavy digging claws on their fore feet. - wikipedia
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January 27th, 2013
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