Besides armadillos being an invasive species, and the fact that they can carry horrible diseases like leprosy, they don’t seem to be all that bad. Anytime I’ve seen one though, whether it be at the zoo, or inexplicably walking along the side of the interstate, I do always wonder how they get around and do things.
The hard shells on their backs help to protect them against predators, as well as provide some weatherproofing, but the way they are shaped doesn’t make them the most agile or flexible creatures. So that means when they need to get certain tasks completed, it’s not as easy as it might be or other animals. When an armadillo has to build its shelter, it actually has to become an ab-adillo, since they have no choice but to utilize their abdominals.
Sorry, I know that was a bad joke, but as you’ll see in the video below, I wasn’t joking when I said they have to put their ab muscles to work. In order to gather material for their nests, they put their curling ability to work, paired with their arms and legs grabbing the leaves and sticks.
Once they have a good grip on everything, they maintain their semi-curled position and jump backwards to the location of their nest. Is it the easiest process in the world? No, not at all, but it gets the job done, and that’s all that matters when you are an armadillo. Imagine if we humans had to carry our groceries into the house by pushing them against our stomachs and hopping backwards…
Thankfully we don’t have to do that, and can instead leave the complicated carrying method to armadillos:
Social media users were intrigued by the armadillo gathering nest material, while some even wondered if the hard-shelled creature would be willing to provide them some free labor:
need one of these fellas to help keep my driveway clean 😂
— Shiny✨Wilder✨ (@ShinyWilder) October 24, 2023
His leaf-gathering technique is both fascinating and adorable! 😀
— Universe 🌌🌍 (@Amr10062) October 24, 2023
I want this in robot form
— Bob Walker (@rwalker1072) October 24, 2023
this is the cutest thing i have ever seen in my life
— Tarık (@tarikv0) October 25, 2023
You do what you do with what you’ve got.
— Ron (@Ron57221276) October 24, 2023
