leniwce-i-pancerniki: Armadillo

Evidence: 100 • authority: 72

Armadillos (Spanish for 'little armored ones') are placental mammals in the order Cingulata. They form part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. Twenty-one extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are distinguished by the number of bands on their armor. All species are native to the Americas, where they inhabit a variety of environments. Living armadillos are characterized by a leathery armor shell and long, sharp claws for digging. They have short legs, but can move quite quickly. The average length of an armadillo is about 75 cm (30 in), including its tail. The giant armadillo grows up to 150 cm (59 in) and weighs up to 54 kg (119 lb), wh…

Evidence: 45 • authority: 72

The pink fairy armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus) is the smallest species of armadillo, first described by Richard Harlan in 1825. The pink fairy armadillo is 90–115 mm (3.5–4.5 in) long, and typically weighs about 120 g (4.2 oz). This solitary, desert-adapted animal is endemic to the deserts and scrub lands of central Argentina. The pink fairy armadillo is closely related to the only other fairy armadillo (Chlamyphorinae), the greater fairy armadillo. Pink fairy armadillos have small eyes, silky yellowish white fur, and flexible dorsal shells that are attached to their bodies solely by thin dorsal membranes. Their spatula-shaped tails protrude from vertical plates at the blunt rear of thei…

Evidence: 27 • authority: 90

Excavations of giant armadillos alter environmental conditions and provide new resources for a range of animals. Abstract Burrowing species can be considered important ecosystem engineers that increase landscape heterogeneity, create subterranean shelters and provide foraging opportunities. We measured and described different aspects of giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) excavations (size, age), and differences generated in relation to the surrounding environment (vegetation, humidity, temperature) in three sites of the Argentine Chaco Region. We used camera‐traps in two protected areas to monitor the use of burrows by other species and tested two primary and non‐mutually exclusive hypoth…

Evidence: 27 • authority: 72

The six-banded armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus), also known as the yellow armadillo, is an armadillo found in South America. The sole extant member of its genus, it was first described by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The six-banded armadillo is typically between 40 and 50 centimeters (16 and 20 in) in head-and-body length, and weighs 3.2 to 6.5 kilograms (7.1 to 14.3 lb). The carapace (hard shell on the back) is pale yellow to reddish brown, marked by scales of equal length, and scantily covered by buff to white bristle-like hairs. The forefeet have five distinct toes, each with moderately developed claws. Six-banded armadillos are efficient diggers and form burrows to live in…