David Bloom, age 13, of Prescott, Ariz., for his question:

WHAT IS AN EDENTATE?

An edentate is any one of a group of mammals that have incomplete sets of teeth or no teeth at all. The armadillo, found in the South, is the only edentate that lives in the United States.

In addition to the armadillo, the only other living edentates are the anteaters and the sloths. These animals are most common in South America, but they are also found in Central America and parts of North America.

Edentate means toothless, but armadillos and sloths have back teeth.

Some edentates have a hard, bony covering. Others are covered only by hair.

The nine banded armadillo is the only kind of armadillo found in the United States. The hinges of its shell consist of nine narrow bands of armor which slide upon one another. This armadillo is about two feet long, including the tail, and weighs up to 15 pounds. You can find the nine banded armidillo in parts of Texas and Louisiana.

The female nine banded armadillo gives birth to four babies at one time, always of the same sex.

Other armadillos found farther south have three or six bands across the back.