Pink Fairy Armadillo
| PINK FAIRY ARMADILLO (Chlamyphorus truncatus) | ||||||||||||
| Pronounced: | Klam-ee-for-us trunk-a-tus | Order: | Cingulata | |||||||||
| Kingdom: | Animalia | Family: | Dasypodidae | |||||||||
| Phylum: | Chordata | Genus: | Chlamyphorus | |||||||||
| Class: | Mammalia | Species: | Truncatus | |||||||||
Smallest of the armadillos, the Pink Fairy grows to only 5 – 6 inches in length. Its shell is different from other armadillos in that it is almost separate from the body, and it has fur-like hairs on the rest of its body. Its shell is truncated, meaning it is cropped in a straight line at the back. This is useful because it allows the armadillo to retreat into its burrow and quickly back up and sit against the opening, virtually blocking any predator from entering. It is also called the Pichiciego (pronounced pi-chi-see-EG-o).
Habitat: The Pink Fairy Armadillo makes its home in the warm, sandy plains of central Argentina. It is perfectly suited to this habitat, with wide, shovel-like paws for digging into the sand, and a tough shell to reduce moisture loss and protect against predators. This shy, little creature is Endangered due to habitat destruction, as much of the area it lives in is being changed to farming land, especially to raise cattle for meat.
Predators and Prey: Coyotes, jaguars, wolves and wild cats make up some of the Pink Fairy’s predators. In turn, it feeds on ants, larvae and other creatures it can dig up from the ground with its large paws, such as worms and snails.
