This is the penned version of my armadiglet. Along with the information I have gathered that I think relates to the armadiglet I used this information to help me plan what my armadiglet would look like. I will also use this information when it comes to writing about the armadiglet for my book.
A miniature pig, is a breed of pig developed and used for medical research or for use as a pet. These smaller pigs were first used for medical research in Europe before being introduced to the United States in the 1980s. Since then, the animals have been used in studies by scientists around the world, and have also risen and fallen in popularity as unusual pets.
The domestic pig (Sus scrofa domesticus or Sus domesticus), sometimes called swine or hog, is a large, even-toed ungulate; it is considered a subspecies of the wild boar or a distinct species. Their head plus body length ranges from 0.9 to 1.8 m (35 to 71 in) and adults can weigh between 50 to 350 kg (110 to 770 lb). Compared to other artiodactyls, their head is relatively long, pointed, and free of warts. Even-toed ungulates are generally herbivorous, although the domestic pig is an omnivore, like its wild ancestor.
Domestic pigs are farmed primarily for the consumption of their flesh, called pork. The animal's bones, hide, and bristles have been fashioned into items such as brushes. Domestic pigs, especially the pot-bellied pig, are also kept as pets.
The behaviour of domestic pigs is more like that of dogs and humans, rather than cattle or sheep; in many ways, their behaviour appears to be intermediate between that of carnivores and the more highly evolved artiodactyls.[31] Domestic pigs seek out the company of each other and often huddle to maintain physical contact, although they do not naturally form large herds.
If conditions permit, domesticated pigs feed continuously for many hours and then sleep for many hours, in contrast to ruminants which tend to feed for a short time and then sleep for a short time. Pigs are omnivores and are highly versatile in their feeding behaviour. They can survive well by scavenging on the same types of foods that humans and dogs can live on. In the wild, they are foraging animals, primarily eating leaves, grasses, roots, fruits and flowers.[clarification needed] Domestic pigs are intelligent[32] and can be trained to perform numerous tasks and tricks.[33] Recently, they have enjoyed a measure of popularity as house pets, particularly the dwarf breeds.
Very rarely, either naturally as a result of unusually aggressive behavior, or perhaps as the result of a pathological process which alters their disposition, domestic farm-based pigs have become aggressive and injured and eaten their handlers.[34]
Pigs have panoramic vision of approximately 310° and binocular vision of 35° to 50°. It is thought they have no eye accommodation;[42] other animals that have no accommodation, e.g. sheep, lift their heads to see distant objects.[43] The extent to which pigs have colour vision is still a source of some debate, however, the presence of cone cells in the retina with two distinct wavelength sensitivities (blue and green) suggests that at least some colour vision is present.[44] Pigs are inquisitive and this should be remembered when moving them. If they are not hurried and can explore as they go along, they can be driven with much less effort.
Pigs have a well-developed sense of smell and use is made of this in Europe where they are trained to locate underground truffles. Olfactory rather than visual stimuli are used in the identification of conspecifics.[45] Hearing is also well developed and localisation of sounds is made by moving the head. Auditory stimuli are used extensively by pigs as a means of communication in all social activities.[46] Alarm or aversive stimuli are transmitted to conspecifics not only by auditory cues but also by pheromones.[47] Similarly, recognition between the sow and her piglets is by olfactory and vocal cues.[48]
Pigs are omnivores, which means that they consume both plants and animals. In the wild, they are foraging animals, primarily eating leaves, grasses, roots, fruits and flowers. In confinement[where?] pigs are fed mostly corn and soybean meal[citation needed] with a mixture of vitamins and minerals added to the diet. Because pigs are omnivores they make excellent pasture raised animals.[8] Traditionally they were raised on dairy farms and called "mortgage lifters" due to their ability to use the excess milk as well as whey from cheese and butter making combined with pasture.[9] Older pigs will consume three to five gallons of water per day.[10]
Of the 20 varieties of armadillo, all but one live in Latin America. The familiar nine-banded armadillo is the only species that includes the United States in its range.
Armadillo is a Spanish word meaning “little armored one” and refers to the bony plates that cover the back, head, legs, and tail of most of these odd looking creatures. Armadillos are the only living mammals that wear such shells.
Closely related to anteaters and sloths, armadillos generally have a pointy or shovel-shaped snout and small eyes. They vary widely in size and color, from the 6-inch-long (15-centimeter-long), salmon-colored pink fairy armadillo to the 5-foot-long (1.5-meter-long), dark-brown giant armadillos. Others have black, red, gray, or yellowish coloring.
Contrary to popular belief, not all armadillos are able to encase themselves in their shells. In fact, only the three-banded armadillo can, curling its head and back feet and contorting its shell into a hard ball that confounds would-be predators.
Armadillos live in temperate and warm habitats, including rain forests, grasslands, and semi-deserts. Because of their low metabolic rate and lack of fat stores, cold is their enemy, and spates of intemperate weather can wipe out whole populations.
Most species dig burrows and sleep prolifically, up to 16 hours per day, foraging in the early morning and evening for beetles, ants, termites, and other insects. They have very poor eyesight, and utilize their keen sense of smell to hunt. Strong legs and huge front claws are used for digging, and long, sticky tongues for extracting ants and termites from their tunnels. In addition to bugs, armadillos eat small vertebrates, plants, and some fruit, as well as the occasional carrion meal.
Population numbers of nearly all species are threatened by habitat loss and over-hunting. Many cultures in the Americas consume armadillo flesh, which is said to resemble pork in its flavor and texture. Currently, only the nine-band population is expanding, and some species, including the pink fairy, are threatened.
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