Dasypus novemcinctus

Nine-banded armadillo, a member of the family Dasypodidae characterized by a covering of bony plates or a leathery carapace. It is a plantigrade, insectivorous, burrowing animal with the remarkable characteristic of always bearing four monozygous offspring. There are a number of other genera of similar armadillos. Armadillos are valued as experimental hosts in studies of leprosy.