Of the armadillo, Audubon says, "this singular production of nature, it might be said, resembles a small pig saddled with the shell of a turtle." His information about the animal's behavior was largely supplied by Capt. J.P. McCown who told him American soldiers had eaten armadillo during the Mexican/American war, reporting that it tasted much like opossum. Armadillos were also frequently kept as pets.

McCown noted they were common in the southern Texas area north of the Rio Grande. The specimen sent to Audubon after its death had been a pet. Audubon comments that the shell of the animal in his drawing is most likely brighter than those found in the wild, since it had been routinely washed and groomed.