The predator-prey relationship is one of the most complex relationships in any ecosystem. On one hand, we have the predator species, which has to hunt to survive. On the other, we have the prey, which has to go all out to avoid being hunted. With the odds stacked against them, prey species depend heavily on antipredatory adaptations — tricks that either help them avoid predators or at least avoid being eaten by them.
Most animals have some trick up their sleeve for the moment a predator catches them. Some shed the non-vital parts of their body to escape, which is called autotomy. Others go to the extent of ejecting their internal organs to disgust the predator, which is called evisceration. Not all animals rely on such unusual techniques, though. Some species, for instance, are armed with a protective covering — an armor — to save them from the predator's clutches.
What Is an Animal's Armor?
An armor is a protective covering made of some hard material, used during combat. The definition doesn't change much in the context of animals, other than the fact that in animals it forms as a part of their body. The armor protects these animals from predatory species that are armed with razor-sharp teeth and strong jaws.
When we speak of armored animals, the turtle with its thick shell is likely to be the first species to come to your mind. The shell is the best example of animal armor, but it is not the only one. In fact, it is just one of the different types of armor that animals use to defend themselves against predators — others being spikes and spines, bony plates, thick skin, and more.
Shells: Built-in Safe Houses
The turtle's shell is made of several bones and is covered with scutes made of keratin. The upper section of the shell is referred to as the carapace, while the lower section is called the plastron. Turtles use their shell as a safe house, where they retreat when they are threatened by predators. The strategy is fairly simple.
When they are attacked, they pull their head, tail, and legs inside the shell, and stay inside until the predator wanders off — which can take several hours at times. Though it is readily associated with turtles, the protective shell is a characteristic trait of a variety of animals, including mollusks like snails and clams.
Many people are under the impression that snails carry their shell on their back so that they can retreat into it whenever they are threatened. The fact, however, is that much of the snail's body is inside the shell at any given point. It completely retreats into its shell only when it is under attack.
While turtles and snails are univalve species, mollusks like clams and mussels are bivalves — that is, they have two-part shells, which can be opened and closed as and when required. Then there are chitons, which are mollusks with eight calcareous plates that act as a protective covering.
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Exoskeletons: Armor You Wear on the Outside
As opposed to animals with a true shell, like turtles and snails, some animals have their exoskeleton acting as a protective armor for them. The list includes crustaceans like lobsters and crabs, insects like grasshoppers and beetles, and arachnids like spiders and scorpions. The exoskeleton doesn't just provide protection — it also lends structural support to these species. Molting is a common occurrence with all of them.
Furthermore, in some species, the exoskeleton is armed with spikes and spines, so most predatory species prefer to avoid them. These include lizards like the Texas horned lizard, thorny dragon, and armadillo lizard, as well as crustaceans like the spiny lobster. In the case of lizards, their spikes don't just threaten predatory species — they also help with water retention and help the lizards survive the harsh conditions of their native habitat.
Spikes and Quills
Among mammals, hedgehogs, spiny anteaters, and porcupines are best known for their spiny, armor-like skin, which helps them survive predation. When threatened, hedgehogs and spiny anteaters curl into a spiny ball to evade the predator. The porcupine, on the other hand, goes on the offensive and launches a scathing attack on the predator using its spines or quills. Like porcupines, even sea urchins use their spiny bristles — which are known to be toxic — to survive their predators in the sea.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is animal armor made of?
It depends on the animal. A turtle's shell is made of bones covered by plates called scutes, which are made of keratin, the same protein in our fingernails. Crabs and insects have a hard outer exoskeleton, while an armadillo has bony plates and a rhino has very thick skin.
Which animals have a protective shell?
Turtles and tortoises are the most famous, but snails, clams, mussels, and chitons all carry hard protective shells too.
Why is the armadillo called the 'little armored one'?
Armadillo is Spanish for 'little armored one'. The animal is named that way because its whole body is covered with bony plates, so it looks like it is wearing a suit of armor.
What do armadillos and pangolins do when they are attacked?
The three-banded armadillo and every living species of pangolin roll their bodies into a tight ball when a predator threatens them, hiding their soft parts inside their armor.
Does armor always keep an animal safe?
No. Predators evolve too, some birds carry shelled animals high into the air and drop them onto rocks to crack the shell open. And armor offers little protection against threats from humans.
Bony Plates: The Armadillo and Pangolin
If any armored mammal is more famous than the hedgehog or porcupine, it's the armadillo. Native to South America, the animal has its entire body covered with bony plates, which makes it look as if it is really wearing an armor. It is because of this that the species is called the armadillo, which is Spanish for the 'little armored one'.
While most armadillo species flee into thick foliage when attacked, the three-banded armadillo rolls itself into a ball and survives predation. Interestingly, an animal with a striking resemblance to the armadillo, the pangolin, is found in Africa and Asia. Like the three-banded armadillo, all the extant species of pangolin roll into a ball when they are threatened by a predator.
Thick Skin and Heavy Scales
In the case of crocodiles, the exoskeleton is made of horny scales with bony scutes beneath. Even their jaws are heavily armored, yet they are known to be as sensitive as human fingers. On the other hand, rhinos may not have a shell, scales, or scutes, but they do have a thick skin that is nothing short of an armor. In fact, the segmented skin of the Indian rhino comes as close to an actual armor as possible.
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When Armor Isn't Enough
Armed with a protective covering, one might think that armored animals are safe from their predators — but that is not the case. Like their prey, predators have also evolved over the course of time. If the animals we mentioned here have developed a protective covering as a part of their evolution, then predators have developed teeth and claws and altered their behavior as a part of theirs. Some birds, for instance, have mastered the art of taking on shelled animals like turtles. They simply grab them in their beak, take them high into the air, and throw them onto the rocks below, splitting the carapace open.
While armor-like skin, protective coloration, mimicry, speed and agility, herd behavior, and more have helped these species survive predation by other members of the animal kingdom, none of them seem to be of much use when it comes to human onslaught. Will these animals ever evolve to survive humans? They will have to, because survival in the end is all about evolving.
Fun fact for today!A turtle's shell is not a costume it can climb out of — the shell is part of its skeleton, fused to its backbone and ribs, so the turtle is built right into its own armor!