Armadillo

the Spanish-American name, now imported into English, of various mammal i a belonging to the order edentata. The name armadillo, implying that they are in armor, is applied to these animals because the upper part of their body is covered with large, strong scales or plates, forming a helmet for their head, a buckler for their shoulders, transverse bands for their back, and in some species a series of rings for the protection of their tail. Another peculiarity is the _ number of their molar teeth; these amount in one species to more than 90. There are five toes on the hinder feet, and four or five, according to the species, on the anterior ones. The fore feet are admirably adapted for digging, and the animal, when it sees danger, can extemporize a hole and vanish into it with wonderful rapidity.