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Armadillos Animal Themes

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Armadillos
Print Armadillos Reading Comprehension


Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 7 to 9
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	8.58

Vocabulary

	challenging words:		naked-tailed, self-imposed, timeframe, tough-looking, run-in, transverse, postpone, self-defense, carrion, latter, carapace, eye-catching, passion, flowerbeds, flesh, exit
	content words:		South America, Central America, United States, North America

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Armadillos

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¹     Armadillos are tough-looking mammals. They wear armor (also called a carapace) made of hard, bony plates. Of the twenty different species, some armadillos have transverse bands in the middle of their bodies, but others do not. The number of such bands each species has often becomes part of its name. For example, the three-banded armadillo has three bands. Likewise, the six-banded armadillo has six bands. The nine-banded armadillo, however, does not always follow the rule. It may have eight or nine bands.
 
²     Armadillos live in grasslands or forested areas. Once, they were found only in South America. Later, two kinds spread into Central America as well. The two species are the northern naked-tailed armadillo and the nine-banded armadillo. The former has been content with its newfound territory ever since it arrived in Central America. The latter was not satisfied. In the 1800s, the nine-banded armadillo made its way into the United States. To date, it is the only armadillo species found in North America. The nine-banded armadillo now thrives in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and several other southern states.
 
³     Armadillos love digging! They have strong feet and sharp claws. With these tools, they have no problem digging to uncover food or to build their underground homes (burrows). Their burrows can be more than twenty feet long and five feet below the ground. Of course, because of their passion for burrowing, armadillos are often blamed for ruining flowerbeds, lawns, and crop fields. Hence, they are sometimes considered pests.

Paragraphs 4 to 7:
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Animal Themes

Animal Themes

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Mammals

Mammals

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Grasslands

Grasslands

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Animals

Amphibians         Birds         Deserts         Fish         Freshwater         Grasslands         Insects

Invertebrates         Mammals         Oceans         Polar Regions         Rain Forest         Reptiles

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