Armor Protects From Predators

photograph of a yellow armadillo walking on grass during the day

Biological Strategy

Armadillos

AskNature Team

Image: Nathan Rupert / Flickr / Some rights reserved

Protect From Animals

Animals–organisms that range from microscopic to larger than a bus–embody a wide variety of harms to living systems, including other animals. They threaten through predation, herbivory, defense, and parasitism, and they compete for resources such as water, nutrients, and space. Any given living organism commonly faces threats from a variety of animals, requiring strategies that effectively defend from each. Trout and other bony fish, for example, escape predators by having scales made of very thin, flake-like pieces of bone covered with slippery mucus. They also have behavioral strategies such as camouflage, fast swimming, and twisting and turning to achieve release from a predator’s grip.

Search this Function

Mammals

Class Mammalia (“breast”): Bats, cats, whales, horses, humans

Mammals make up less than 1% of all animals on earth, but they include some of the most well-known species. We know first-hand some of the characteristics that make mammals unique, like having hair, being able to sweat, and producing milk through mammary glands. Another critical shared feature is a set of highly-specialized teeth. Unlike sharks or alligators, for example, whose teeth are generally all the same size and shape, mammals have differently shaped teeth in different areas of the jaws to target specific foods or foraging strategies.

Search this Living System

The body of armadillo protects from predators via flexible armor plating.

“Many larger creatures recognize the value of having the least possible surface area. Rolling into a ball is a simple but effective form of defence, used by creatures as diverse as the woodlouse, the hedgehog, and the armadillo. The economy of shape is made even more effective by adding some form of flexible armour-plating on the surface of the sphere. All the vulnerable and vital organs and limbs are tucked away inside the protective casing, presenting a predator with a frustrating ball game instead of a meal.” (Foy and Oxford Scientific Films 1982:21)

Foy S, Oxford Scientific Films. The Grand Design: Form and Colour in Animals. Lingfield, Surrey, U.K.: BLA Publishing Limited for J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd, London; 1982. 238 p.