![]() ![]() This is further exacerbated by habitat loss resulting from deforestation. Despite this species' wide range, it is locally rare. In addition, live giant armadillos are frequently captured for trade on the black market, and invariably die during transportation or in captivity. Hunted throughout its range, a single giant armadillo supplies a great deal of meat, and is the primary source of protein for some indigenous peoples. Although they have never bred in captivity, a wild-born giant armadillo at San Antonio Zoo was estimated to have been around sixteen years old when it died. Little is known with certainty about their life history, although it is thought that the young are weaned by about seven to eight months of age, and that the mother periodically seals up the entrance to burrows containing younger offspring, presumably to protect them from predators. ![]() Evidence points to only giving birth once every three years. įemale giant armadillos have two teats and have a gestational period of about five months. Additionally, the giant armadillo was once key to controlling leaf cutter populations which could destroy crops, but they can also damage crops themselves when digging through soil. Because of this, the species is considered a habitat engineer, and the local extinction of Priodontes may have cascading effects in the mammalian community by impoverishing fossorial habitat. In the only long-term study on the species, that started in 2003 in the Peruvian Amazon, dozens of other species of mammals, reptiles and birds were found using the giant armadillos' burrows on the same day, including the rare short-eared dog ( Atelocynus microtis). Giant armadillo skeleton (back) and skeleton of six-banded armadillo (front) at the Cambridge University Museum of Zoology in EnglandĪrmadillos have not been extensively studied in the wild therefore, little is known about their natural ecology and behavior. ![]() They primarily inhabit open habitats, with cerrado grasslands covering about 25% of their range, but they can also be found in lowland forests. There are no recognised geographic subspecies. In the south, they reach the northernmost provinces of Argentina, including Salta, Formosa, Chaco, and Santiago del Estero. Giant armadillos are found throughout much of northern South America east of the Andes, except for eastern Brazil and Paraguay. The typical length of the species is 75–100 cm (30–39 in), with the tail adding another 50 cm (20 in). Giant armadillos typically weigh around 18.7–32.5 kg (41–72 lb) when fully grown, however a 54 kg (119 lb) specimen has been weighed in the wild and captive specimens have been weighed up to 80 kg (180 lb). The animal is almost entirely hairless, with just a few beige colored hairs protruding between the scutes. The tail is covered in small rounded scales and does not have the heavy bony scutes that cover the upper body and top of the head. They also possess extremely long front claws, including a sickle-shaped third claw up to 22 cm (8.7 in) in length, which are proportionately the largest of any living mammal. ![]() The teeth are all similar in appearance, being reduced premolars and molars, grow constantly throughout life, and lack enamel. These armadillos have around 80 to 100 teeth, which is more than any other terrestrial mammal. Its body is dark brown in color, with a lighter, yellowish band running along the sides, and a pale, yellow-white head. The giant armadillo is the largest living species of armadillo, with 11 to 13 hinged bands protecting the body and a further three or four on the neck. ![]()
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