BaileysPapa Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 About 12 years ago, I was driving in the morning, and saw a car hit something in the road. They did not stop. I pulled over, and there was a dead Armadillo. At the edge of the road were 2 baby Armadillo pups who had been thrown aside during the accident. Armadillos usually have twins, occasionally triplets. They were alive, so, I took them with me. I kept them, and brought them to my vet. One was fine, one seemed to be blind. We could not determine if the blindness was caused by trauma from the accident, or from birth. After fostering them a few weeks, I set the sighted one free. I decided to keep the blind one. I named him "Tarkus" from the Emerson, Lake & Palmer record album, there is an Armadillo/tank on the cover. He was a cool little dude. He adjusted to living in my yard, in a covered pen that I built for him. It had a wide PVC pipe that was his burrow. He ate insects that he caught, and I fed him mealworms and crickets and dog or cat food. He recognized my voice and would come to me. Armadillos do not make good pets. They are messy, destructive, love to dig, and are really not affectionate. They have blunt, peg-like teeth, and do not bite. My Tarkus would accompany me when I went to schools for my Bird demonstrations. The kids often loved him more than the birds. He was an ambassador for Conservation and Love of Nature. I always held him off until the end of my lecture, because the kids were so fascinated by him. He will be dearly missed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SRSeedBurners Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Your story reminds of a video that's been floating around lately: They remind me of little piglets. Cute little things. Sounds like fate smiled on your little Tarkus when you found him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdhouse Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 I'm sorry you lost Tarkus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbersmom Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Sorry for your loss! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luvparrots Posted March 27, 2015 Share Posted March 27, 2015 Tarkus sounds like a great friend. I wish I had been able to meet him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BaileysPapa Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 They are like piglets with a leathery shell. Tarkus was a Nine Banded Armadillo. And like Sterling's link, (a Three Banded) he loved to play with things like sticks, a sponge rubber ball, and a squeezy dog toy shaped like a hamburger. The link connected to the first one shows an Armadillo (a nine banded like Tarkus) bathing. He liked water just as much. He came into the house often, and on cold days & nights. He was not housetrained, but, only left little mess behind him. A fun, different companion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kins2321@yahoo.com Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 I am so sorry! Nancy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greywings Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Unusual companion, I know he will leave a sore spot on your heart. It sounds like he had a very long life for one of his kind so good job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
judygram Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Companions can take many forms but all offer unconditional love, I am so sorry for your loss and not many people can say they had an armadillo for a companion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katana600 Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 You and Tarkus made a great team for Conservation and Love of Nature. I am so sorry for your loss. I had only one up close and personal look at an armadillo. We were moving from Duncan Oklahoma to Fort Worth Texas. I was driving my two young daughters on a four lane highway when I saw a small armadillo trying to cross. I pulled over and the kids stayed in the car while I shooed him out of the roadway. It had such a pretty pink face, its face reminded me of a graceful seahorse. When it got to the grass on the side of the road, I wanted to get a closer look but it curled up in a tight ball. I wasn't sure if it would bite me and was very cautious approaching it. I touched it with a small stick on the shell thinking if I turned it, I might get a better look at its face. That is when I learned they have a defense mechanism where they fling themselves straight up like a bowling ball to smack a predator right in the nose. Lucky for me, I wasn't a predator and I didn't get hit in the face, and that was the end of my encounter with him since I knew he was trying to protect himself from me. I think they are fascinating animals too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brat Birds Posted March 29, 2015 Share Posted March 29, 2015 I'm so sorry for your loss. Small though they be, the hole in our hearts are large. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muse Posted March 31, 2015 Share Posted March 31, 2015 I am very sorry to hear of your loss. You were so good to care for him and give him a good life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now