Beautiful armadillo

Many years ago I found a treasure trove of fossil animal bones in a cave. Scattered on ledges, encased in mud, lay the remains of dozens of animals that roamed the earth over 11,000 years ago. Ten foot long giant ground sloths. The largest lion that ever lived. A giant short-faced bear, a giant that stood 13 feet on its hind legs. Another animal was a giant armored creature called the beautiful armadillo (Dasypus bellus). I've always loved that name.

Beautiful armadillos were much like armadillos getting run over by cars all over the United States right now. However, the beautiful armadillo that disappeared from the earth 11,000 years ago was quite a lot bigger. The beautiful cousin of today's little armored mammal was over three feet tall. It was covered with bony plates to protect it from all of the sharp toothed and long clawed predators roaming the earth so long ago.

I'm writing an article about the cave that harbored so many ancient bones. When I came across the list of all of the bones pulled out of the cave, which probably represent so many more that are still there, sleeping in the inky blackness, I remembered the name beautiful armadillo. I bet it was beautiful indeed.