When you think of armadillos, you may conjure up images of Texas and a small, armored possum-like creature, yet Arizona was once home to a gigantic armadillo species. The now-extinct mammal lived throughout North America during the Pleistocene, as far back as 1.8 million years ago and as recently as 11,000 years ago!
This intriguing creature, related to modern armadillos, belonged to the glyptodont family, known for their large, dome-like tortoise-looking shells and immense size. Resembling a small Volkswagen bug or a miniature armored tank, these mammals reached up to 8 feet long and weighed up to one ton. A massive shell of tightly formed bony plates served as protection against Pleistocene predators, including saber-toothed cats and dire wolves.
Their fossils have been uncovered in parts of Arizona, most notably in the San Pedro Valley. It’s evidence that these armored giants once meandered the open plains and forests of the region at a time when Arizona’s climate and terrain were markedly different from the arid deserts of today.
The fossils connect Arizona to the fascinating prehistoric ecosystems of North America and shed light on how ancient animals adapted and migrated with changing climates. This extinct creature is a symbol of Arizona’s deep natural history and reveals the environmental shifts that have transformed the state’s landscapes for thousands of years.
This Earth Note was written by Carrie Calisay Cannon and produced by KNAU and the Sustainable Communities Program at Northern Arizona University.
