By Sid Bariki
Do you know, that in Spanish Armadillo means “little armored one”? This is perfect, because the armadillo is the only mammal that has “Armor”! Like most sloths and anteaters, the Armadillo has beady eyes and small snout. They vary in size and color, from the rare 6 inch salmon Armadillo to the massive 5 foot brown Armadillo ! And sometimes because the size of their body, or the way they are shaped, they cant all fit their body into their shell! Some Armadillos can’t even bend their legs, therefore making it impossible to even move, much less roll!
Most Armadillo live in Latin America, but the common Armadillo is what you see when you go out for a walk in the cool evening. You typically see these sentient( able to Feel or See) beings on warm sunny days or cool cloudy skies. Armadillos absolutely despise the Cold, and if theres ever a tiny bit of sleet, you might as well say goodbye to the ones above land. The ones below land, have a chance at survival.
They can sleep up to 16 hours underground, where its warm and cozy. If they go closer to surface and feel that its slightly cold, they will do a 180 and go back down. But at one point the Armadillo has to go and get food, and if he goes out, he freezes to death. Thats why it’s important for them to stay together. They can go out before the snow and get some food, and when the winter comes, they can snack on beetles, ants, termites, and all the other meals they got beforehand.
It’s also keen to remember that Armadillos have terrible eyesight, which means they can’t go above land, and they have strong legs and noses to help them eat and hunt. After the snow, they go to land and start looking for one another, and the reason for this is because it’s breeding season. A male starts following a female until they find another male. Then they both duel, using their strong legs and armor to fight. The female then has offspring with the winner, and the pup, which is a baby Armadillo, is born after 3-5 months, which is about some years in armadillo years. The father of the pup will then leave, to do the same. Then the mother of the Armadillo raises the pup for a couple of months, and teaches the baby Armadillo how to get food, then leaves the pup by himself. The brave pup has to get its food, burrow its own holes, and live on its own for a next few years, with a massive chance at dying. These brave pups are what gave me the motivation to write my own book, involving amazing Armor Dillos (as seen in the title), Music, Magic, space, and much, much, more.
Sid: I just saw how brave these pups are, surviving by themselves ever since the first year they were born, which motivated me to add them to my book. The book should be out pretty soon, and if you like Music, space, adventure, and a super brave Armor Dillo you’ll love this novel!