armadillo

thumb|Armadillo thumb|Nine-banded armadillo skeleton thumb|Tolypeutes|Three-banded armadillo skeleton on display at the [[Museum of Osteology]]

Armadillos () are placental mammals in the order Cingulata. They form part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. Twenty-one extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are distinguished by the number of bands on their armor. All species are native to the Americas, where they inhabit a variety of environments.