Bump and hole

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/bump-and-hole

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What makes an armadillo's shell special?Armadillos have a true bony armor called a carapace made of tiny bone plates called osteoderms. These plates are covered by tough, keratin scales that give the shell a flexible yet strong protection.
2. How do armadillos help the soil with their burrows?When armadillos dig, they create tunnels that let air reach the soil and let water soak in. Their burrows also make tiny homes for insects and small animals, helping the whole ecosystem.

Carapace: The hard, protective shell covering the back and sides of an animal, formed from bony plates.
Osteoderms: Bony plates embedded in the skin, forming part of the dermal armor in reptiles and armadillos.
Ecosystem Engineers: Organisms that significantly create, modify, or maintain habitats, influencing the diversity of other species.
Polyembryony: A form of asexual reproduction where a single fertilized egg divides to produce multiple genetically identical offspring.