Xenarthra
| Definition: |
An order of New World mammals characterized by the absence of incisors and canines from among their teeth, and comprising the ARMADILLOS, the SLOTHS, and the anteaters. The order is distinguished from all others by what are known as xenarthrous vertebrae (xenos, strange; arthron, joint): there are secondary, and sometimes even more, articulations between the vertebrae of the lumbar series. The order was formerly called Edentata. (From Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2d ed; Walker's Mammals of the World, 5th ed, vol. I, p515) |
| Notes: |
SLOTHS, ARMADILLOS & anteaters; do not confuse X ref AARDVARKS with X ref AARDWOLVES see CARNIVORA; do not confuse X ref ANTEATERS with X ref SPINY ANTEATER see ECHIDNA; IM; qualif permitted |
| Also Called: |
Anteaters,Aardvarks |
Xenarthra Categories.
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Armadillos - Burrowing, chiefly nocturnal mammals of the family Dasypodidae having bodies and heads encased in small bony plates. They are widely distributed in the warmer parts of the Americas. |
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Sloths - Slow-moving exclusively arboreal mammals that inhabit the tropical forests of South and Central America. |
Xenarthra Definitions and Terms
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