Even though they are covered in somewhat protective armor, nine banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) tend to be cautious little animals. They don’t see very well (look at how tiny those eyes are), but they have incredible noses. Frequently, before they go into an area, they will stop and smell the air as their way of looking out for predators. That’s what this little armadillo was doing when I saw it in the wood around Watermelon Pond. I must have been downwind from it because it never detected my presence. I wrote a post about it not too long after it happened, but for some reason, I couldn’t find this photo. It was taken on my iPhone, and it’s not as good quality as I had hoped for, but I do think it’s really cute. So when I found it while reviewing some of my older images, I really wanted to share it. Hope you think it’s as cute as I do.