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'Dillos: Roadkill on Extinction Highway?

W.R. Klemm
Benecton Press (2007)
ISBN 9780975522523
Reviewed by Sandie Kirkland for RebeccasReads (5/08)

W.R. Klemm, a veterinarian and PhD, has researched the armadillo extensively, so “'Dillos” tells the reader everything they’d ever want to know about these amazing creatures.  Armadillos are considered primitive mammals, as they can be traced back to the dinosaur age.  They are nocturnal, and live almost entirely on insects, thus benefiting farmers.  Armadillo females in the U.S., which are the nine-banded armadillos, always give birth to quadruplets, who are clones of each other.  This, plus the fact that armadillos are capable of having leprosy, makes them valuable medical research animals.

Klemm has covered all facets of armadillo facts, from genetic backgrounds, to habitat range to popular culture that focuses on armadillos in many different ways.  Some of the interesting items were the discussion of how armadillos came to the U.S. (migration from Mexico in Texas and nearby states while Florida’s armadillos are descendants of zoo animals that got loose), how the fertilized female can somehow control implantation, sometimes having the babies up to two years later, and the story of how school children initiated a campaign that resulted in the armadillo being named the state small mammal of Texas.  He discusses the past, the present, and the future of these animals.

For anyone interested in armadillos, or simply in animals, this book is recommended.  “'Dillos: Roadkill on Extinction Highway?” is thorough and very readable.

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