Teachings of the Nine-banded Armadillo

Move Out of Your Comfort Zone

Digging with her strong front claws, Nine-banded Armadillo kicks away the excavated dirt with her hind legs. When digging for Ants and Grubs, She avoids getting dust up her nose by holding her breath. With her strong sense of smell, Nine-banded Armadillo searches for roots, fruits, dead animals, and bird’s eggs. Encountering a termite nest, She pokes her long sticky tongue into the nest and draws out the Insects.

Unlike other Armadillos, Nine-banded Armadillo is fond of water. She is the only Armadillo that can swim. She inflates her stomach and intestines with air to keep afloat, and then paddles across the pond. When encountering a small stream, Nine-banded Armadillo will walk on the bottom, holding her breath.

The other way that Nine-banded Armadillo differs from other Armadillos is that She has expanded her range to North America. Her territory now goes from Argentina to the Southeastern United States, and is still increasing. This is because Nine-banded Armadillo is highly adaptable. As long as Nine-banded Armadillo has Insects to eat and earth to dig in, She can thrive.

Because of her week immune system, Nine-banded Armadillo is a carrier of leprosy (Hansen’s disease). For that reason, it is illegal to sell live armadillos in Texas (US). Because She gives birth to four identical babies (pups), medical researchers are studying Nine-banded Armadillo in order to develop a vaccine for this horrible disease.

Because of her habit of jumping when startled, Nine-Banded Armadillo often becomes road kill. Undeterred She continues her expansion northward. Swimming streams and crossing highways, Nine-banded Armadillo goes forward, never backward. Learn from Her how to move beyond your comfort zone, just don‘t startle so easily.

Teachings of Nine-banded Armadillo:
“Many people feel drawn to Armadillo for its quiet reserve, its sense of invulnerability, and its attitude of comic detachment as it plods along, knowing that any animal with a grain of self-respect and good reasoning capacities will give it a wide berth. Armadillo lives in its own little shell.” Copyright, Hal Zina Bennett, “Zuni Fetishes”.

Wisdom from Nine-banded Armadillo:
Whimsy
Looks Can Be Deceiving
Variety in One’s Inner Life

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Copyright: Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers, 2008
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