Armadillo

Share Top Five November 6, 2018

Armadillos are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata with a leathery armour shell. The Chlamyphoridae and Dasypodidae are the only surviving families in the order, which is part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. The word armadillo means “little armoured one” in Spanish. The Aztecs called them āyōtōchtli , Nahuatl for “turtle-rabbit”and The Portuguese word for “armadillo” is tatu which derives from the Tupi language. Similar names are also found in other, especially European, languages,more info:wiki

Below are photos and Images you may like:

#10 Armadillo,more info:wikipedia

#9 Nine-banded Armadillo ,more info:inaturalist

#8 nine-banded armadillo,more info:wiktionary

#7 Humans gave leprosy to armadillos – now they are giving it back to us,more info:theconversation

Leprosy is an ancient disease, the oldest disease known to be associated with humans, with evidence of characteristic bone pitting and deformities found in burial sites in India as far back as 2000 B.C.

It’s thus only natural that many might think the disease is a relic of the past. My studies in 2018 in a Brazilian state where the disease is prevalent shows that leprosy is closer to us than we might think, however. The disease is growing in armadillos. And while these animals are not exactly the cuddly type to which humans are drawn, armadillo-to-human contact is spreading. And, when the species do interact, armadillos are giving leprosy back.

An unsightly animal, a worse disease

Leprosy, also called Hansen’s disease, is caused by infection by the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae, causing skin lesions, nerve damage, disfigurement and disability, leading to social stigmatization common to people with this disease. It is is spread mainly by aerosol infection, or coughing and sneezing, from human to human.