Anteaters Sloths and Armadillos: Xenarthra

Xenarthrans are usually solitary. However, armadillos sometimes travel in pairs or small groups. Sloths, anteaters, and armadillos are thought to be polygynous (puh-LIH-juh-nus), meaning males mate with more than one female. After mating, the males leave, and the females raise the young.

A female sloth bears one young that she carries with her for up to a year. A female anteater usually gives birth to one cub. Very rarely, twins are born. The cub stays on the mother's back for six to nine months. Females of most armadillo species bear a litter of one to three young. However, some species bear up to twelve cubs.

When the armadillo is faced by predators, it bends its head down to protect its flesh from attack. The three-banded armadillo rolls itself into a hard-shelled ball. Sloths and anteaters use claws as protection. Predators of xenarthrans include jaguars, lions, and humans.