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Pink Fairy Armadillo - Chlamyphorus truncatus
Topic Started: Oct 29 2012, 03:29 PM (3,860 Views)
linnaeus1758
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Pink Fairy Armadillo - Chlamyphorus truncatus

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Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia purol
Order: Cingulata
Family: Dasypodidae
Subfamily: Euphractinae
Genus: Chlamyphorus
Species: Chlamyphorus truncatus

Description
The pink fairy armadillo or pichiciego, is the smallest species of armadillo.
Pink fairy armadillos are approximately 15 centimeters long, and weighs 120 grams. The armadillo has a pink shell and thick, white fur on its sides.
The shell is attached to the backbone and covers the top of the armadillo's head. The shell extends on the back but doesn't cover the armadillo's rear.
Pink fairy armadillos have small eyes and ears, and pointed noses. They cannot move their tail up and down, so the tail drags on the ground.

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Biology
Pink fairy armadillos are nocturnal and are strong diggers. They eat at night and spend the day in their burrows. The armadillos are solitary until they mate.
They are thought to be polygamous. The female gives birth to one young. The pup's shell does not become completely hard until it is fully grown.
Pink fairy armadillos eat ants most of the time. Their diet also includes snails, worms, roots, and other plant material. The armadillos sometimes eat carrion.

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Distribution and habitat
Pink fairy armadillos live in central Argentina, in grassland and sandy plains where thorn bushes and cacti (KACK-tie, or KACK-tee; plural of cactus) grow.
The armadillos often dig burrows in dry soil near ant nests. When rain wets the ground where they live, armadillos move to another place.

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Conservation
In 1996, the species was classed as endangered by the IUCN, then upgraded to "near threatened" in 2006, and in 2008 changed to "data deficient", despite
concern over habitat destruction, particularly due to cattle farming.
This armadillo is found in several protected areas, including the Lihué Calel National Park. Both national and provincial legislation is in place specifically protecting
the species.
















Edited by linnaeus1758, Jun 13 2014, 03:42 PM.
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