Pink fairy armadillo
| Pink fairy armadillo[1] | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Cingulata |
| Family: | Chlamyphoridae |
| Subfamily: | Chlamyphorinae |
| Genus: | Chlamyphorus Harlan, 1825 |
| Species: | C. truncatus
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| Binomial name | |
| Chlamyphorus truncatus Harlan, 1825
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| Pink fairy armadillo range | |
The pink fairy armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus) is the smallest species of armadillo, first described by Richard Harlan in 1825.[3] This solitary, desert-adapted animal is endemic to the deserts and scrub lands of central Argentina.[4] The pink fairy armadillo is closely related to the only other fairy armadillo, 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 their shells. They exhibit
The
Individuals caught in the wild had a tendency to die during or a couple days after transport from their natural habitat to captive facilities. There is a sole record for the longevity of a pink fairy armadillo that was held in captivity more than four years; however, that particular case lacks scientific description.[7] Armadillos' evolutionary distinctiveness, combined with their restricted geographic range, ongoing threats, and rarity, make conservation extremely urgent for these species.[3]
Evolutionary origins
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At present, fairy armadillos have the least molecular data available among all families of armadillos. The subfamily
Both species have geographically separated distributions, and both are strictly nocturnal, but the details of their ecology and their
Both species are rare in the field and are fairly elusive, so the
Fairy armadillos have previously been classified within the subfamily Euphractinae. However, current opinion is that the antiquity and uniqueness of pink fairy armadillos is best accounted for by retaining the subfamily Chlamyphorinae.[3][9]
Range and habitat
Pink fairy armadillos are nocturnal burrowing mammals endemic to the
The pink fairy armadillo is classified as a subterranean armadillo[6] that is extremely sensitive to environmental changes and stress.[7] As an example, sudden environmental changes that could affect pink fairy armadillos include temperature and soil quality.[10] In order for them to survive and maintain stability, they must occupy undisturbed places that contain sufficient amounts of compact sand and hiding places. This also refers to possible captivity conditions for this animal due to its desert-adapted characteristics.[7]
Dietary habits
The pink fairy armadillo is classified as a fossorial, generalist, insectivore. Ants and larvae are its main food source while underground. While those are its primary sources of food, the armadillos are known to also eat worms, snails, and various insects. If these insects and invertebrates cannot be found, plant leaves and roots make a good secondary dietary option for their underground lifestyle.[6] In captivity, this animal was observed to willingly accept such foods as watermelon, avocado shells with avocado flesh, and Mazuri Insectivore Diet.[7]
Description
The pink fairy armadillo is 90–115 mm (3.5–4.5 in) long, and typically weighs about 120 g (4.2 oz).[11] This species is the smallest living armadillo and is among the least known.[6]
Thermoregulation and external shell
Its fine hair has been found to be beneficial for thermoregulation in an environment with highly variable temperatures.[7] Night temperatures in Argentinian plains can get very low, and since the armadillo is nocturnal it needs the fur to conserve heat while it is being active outside its burrow.
Armadillos are well known for leathery shells covering the majority of the
The pink fairy armadillo can curl up to protect the vulnerable soft underside, covered with dense white hair.[12] The armored shell consists of 24 bands that allow the animal to curl up in a ball, and the armor is flattened in the posterior portion of the animal so that it can compress dirt behind it as it is digging. This compression strategy is thought to help prevent tunnel collapses. Lastly, the shell itself is also thought to help with thermoregulation. Since the underlying blood vessels are so close to the surface, the animal can control the amount of functional surface area exposed to the environment in order to retain or lose heat. Like most armadillos, they rely mostly on a sense of smell to find each other and their prey.[12]
Burrowing lifestyle
The armadillo has two massive sets of
Along with these unique traits, the pink fairy armadillo has greatly reduced eyes and relies highly on touch and hearing to navigate. It also has a torpedo-shaped body in order to reduce the amount of drag it may encounter while working in tunnels and a thick, hairless tail that it uses for balance and stability while using its other limbs to dig.
Threats
As a subterranean dweller, the armadillo is forced to leave its burrows when heavy storms roll in due to the threat of drowning and the risk of wetting its fur. If its fur is wet the armadillo cannot properly thermoregulate and could experience hypothermia during night hours. Once above ground during a rainstorm the armadillo is vulnerable to an array of predators. Domestic dogs have greatly preyed on these armadillos. Even their underground homes are not completely safe: Fairy armadillos are preyed upon in their burrows by domestic dogs and cats as well as wild boars.[13]
These armadillos do not do well in captivity. The survival rate is so low that many will die in transport from where they were captured to their new area of captivity.[14] Armadillos that are put into captivity typically do not last longer than a few hours or at most eight days. Not a single specimen has survived more than four years.[15] In spite of the high mortality rate associated with captivity, many are sold illegally on the black market, often as pets.[2][7]
Pink fairy armadillos are highly susceptible to changes in climate, habitat loss, farmland pesticide usage, and overhunting. Because they inhabit temperate and warm regions, cold temperatures could wipe out their populations due to their low metabolism rate and inability to store fat.[7][16] As the number of acres converted to farmland increases, the armadillos' burrows not only get plowed over, but the land is no longer habitable for them.[citation needed] The use of pesticides on farmlands is highly concerning because these pesticides adhere to ants, the armadillos' primary source of food. Ingestion of enough of these pesticide-infested ants can be detrimental to their health.[citation needed] Overhunting is one factor that has definitely contributed to the animals' endangerment. Many people in the Americas continue to hunt armadillos for consumption, which is said to be similar to pork in texture and taste.[14][16]
Conservation efforts
In 2006, the armadillo was placed in the
Researchers have found that the pink fairy armadillo is highly subject to stress, making the attempts to apply any conservation policies, including taking it out of its natural environment, extremely difficult and largely unsuccessful. Any modifications in its environment, external temperature, or diet are known to trigger stress responses, which is considered to be a possible reason for the failure of captivity attempts.[7]
Many of the armadillos have died during the transportation process from their wild habitat, and many more have only survived several days in captivity. Overall, there are only three reports of captive maintenance of pink fairy armadillo that are considered successful – in 1970, 1985, and 2009, reporting individuals that lived in captivity for at least 30 months, 22 months, and 8 months respectively.[7]
This armadillo species is found in several protected areas, including the Lihué Calel National Park.[2] Both national and provincial legislation is in place specifically protecting the species.[2]
References
- OCLC 62265494.
- ^ .
- ^ S2CID 42162998.
- ^ Douglas, Sara. "Chlamyphorus truncatus (pink fairy armadillo)". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 16 March 2024.
- ^ Pallardy, Richard; LiveScience. "Pink Fairy Armadillos Have a Weird Double Skin Not Seen in Any Other Mammal". Scientific American. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
- ^ S2CID 86143688.
- ^ PMID 20648566.
- ^ PMID 17884827.
- ^ "Chlamyphorus truncatus (id=1000409)". ASM Mammal Diversity Database. American Society of Mammalogists.
- S2CID 86206200.
- ^ A-Z-Animals.com. "Animal Facts, Images and Resources A-Z Animals – Animal Facts, Images and Resources". A-Z Animals. Retrieved 16 June 2014.
- ^ a b "Pampas Home to Pink Fairy Armadillo." Watertown Daily News. New York Times (1994).
- .
- ^ a b Lowrie, Katharine and Lowrie, David (23 October 2014). "Roast Armadillo-a recipe for extinction." The Independent Blogs.
- ^ Corrigan, Bob ed. "Chlamyphorus truncates." Encyclopedia of Life.
- ^ a b "Armadillos." National Geographic. n.p, n.d. Web. 23 October 2014.
Further reading
- Average Weather For Mendoza, Argentina
- Absurd Creature of the Week: Pink Fairy Armadillo Crawls Out of the Desert and Into Your Heart
- Möller-Krull, M.; Delsuc, F.; Churakov, G.; et al. (November 2007). "Retroposed Elements and Their Flanking Regions Resolve the Evolutionary History of Xenaethan Mammals (Armadillos, Anteaters, and Sloths)". Mol. Biol. Evol. 24 (11): 2573–2582. PMID 17884827.
- Delsuc, F.; Superina, M.; Tilak, M.-K.; Dousery, E.; Hassanin, A. (2012). "Molecular phylogenetics unveils the ancient evolutionary origins of the enigmatic fairy armadillos". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 62 (2): 673–680. S2CID 42162998.
External links
