The Armored Tanks of the Animal Kingdom

These animals of South America, which are called armadillos, have a very interesting appearance because of the armor covering their bodies. These creatures feed on insects and usually search for food by digging in the ground. Armadillos have a keen sense of smell. Perceiving the scent of food, the armadillo embeds its nose in the ground and quickly delves into it as if it were afraid of losing the scent. One might wonder how the armadillo manages to breathe while doing this. However, armadillos do not breathe at that moment. Indeed, they are capable of holding their breath for up to six minutes. This prevents them from choking while digging into the ground.

As a result of this ability to hold their breath for a long time, which Allah bestowed on them, armadillos can dig into the ground and find their food. This example manifests Allah's mercy and compassion towards the living creatures that He created. In a verse in Surat ash-Shu‘ara’, Allah introduces Himself to us: