Armadillos’ Strange, Strange Reproduction Strategy

1200px-Nine-banded_Armadillo

Armadillos are New World placental mammals with a leathery armor shell. The word armadillo means “little armored one” in Spanish. The Aztecs called them āyōtōchtli, Nahuatl for “turtle-rabbit”.

[F]our genetically identical offspring are born, the result of one original egg. Because they are always genetically identical, the group of four young provides a good subject for scientific, behavioral or medical tests that need consistent biological and genetic makeup in the test subjects.

This is the only reliable manifestation of polyembryony in the class Mammalia, and not in all armadillos.

Seems like they’d make a badass supervillain team for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to face. Just saying.

Via Wikipedia.

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I design video games for a living, write fiction, political theory and poetry for personal amusement, and train regularly in Western European 16th century swordwork. On frequent occasion I have been known to hunt for and explore abandoned graveyards, train tunnels and other interesting places wherever I may find them, but there is absolutely no truth to the rumor that I am preparing to set off a zombie apocalypse. Nothing that will stand up in court, at least. I use paranthesis with distressing frequency, have a deep passion for history, anthropology and sociological theory, and really, really, really hate mayonnaise. But I wash my hands after the writing. Promise.

One thought on “Armadillos’ Strange, Strange Reproduction Strategy

  1. on said:

    Now I’m kind of sad about the TMNT villains that will never be.

    Reply

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