Glyptodont

Glyptodont

Extinct over 10,000 years ago at the conclusion of the last ice age, the Glyptodont originated in South America, and traveled into the southern parts of North America throughout the Pleistocene Epoch.  It has a strong resemblance to an armadillo, but at 9 feet wide and weighing about a ton, it is much larger than its cousins.  This giant's shell-like armor is its weapon, used to protect itself from large predators. Its armor has a hexagonal, scale-like pattern on it and is about 5 cm thick covering the animal's bone structure. 

Conway, Michael & Villela, Dominique. (2010). Glyptodonts in Arizona. Arizona Geology. 
          Retrieved from
          http://www.azgs.az.gov/arizona_geology/spring10/article_feature.html

Farina, Richard A. & Vizcaino, Sergio F. (Megafauna: Giant Beasts of Pleistocene South America.

          181, 184, 224, 226. Retrieved from
          http://books.google.com/books?id=kUAKgNfiAvoC&pg=PA281&
          lpg=PA281dq=glyptodontidae&source=bl&ots=C1kdssU1XX&
          sig=tVgqZQG98BCkiJA7eeJ5BdEQijE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=gY5OVJKpN7PfsASv-
          IBY&ved=0CFEQ6AEwBjgK#v=onepage&q=glyptodontidae&f=false
(2014). Glyptodonts. BBC Nature. Retrieved from
          http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Glyptodontidae