What is the American nickname for armadillo meat used for human consumption?
Question #108644. Asked by BaronBatty.
Last updated Dec 06 2016.
zbeckabee
Answer has 4 votes
zbeckabee Moderator 19 year member
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Answer has 4 votes.
The Nine-Banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus), or the nine-banded long-nosed armadillo (and colloquially as the poor man’s pig or poverty pig), is a species of armadillo found in North, Central, and South America, making it the most widespread of the armadillos.
During the Great Depression, the species was hunted for its meat in East Texas, where it was known as "Hoover Hog" by those who considered President Herbert Hoover to be responsible for the depression. Earlier, German settlers in Texas would often refer to the armadillo as Panzerschwein ("armored pig").
Thanks Zbeckabee, I didn't know that. But there's another term that people, in Texas at least, use for the barbecued flesh of the little armoured one.
Sep 09 2009, 8:46 AM
zbeckabee
Answer has 6 votes
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zbeckabee Moderator 19 year member
11752 replies
Answer has 6 votes.
Currently voted the best answer.
Armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus) are mammals, though their backs are covered by a bony shell. Armadillo, which means “small armored thing,” was given its name by Spanish conquistadors. The Aztec name was azotochtli, which means “turtle-rabbit.”
Armadillos are sometimes called “gravediggers,” especially in the South, because of their inclination to dig in soft dirt (such as a freshly dug grave) while searching for insects to eat.