Most fertile animal for quadruplets

A close relative of the anteater, the nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is the only mammal known to bear identical quadruplets routinely. All four, all of the same sex, develop from the same egg and share a single placenta in the womb. There are 20 different species currently in existence, and the nine-banded type is the most numerous (Dasypus novemcinctus). They are the most susceptible animals to contract leprosy and therefore scientists have been studying the disease on these animals for over a century.