Southern Three-Banded Armadillo

Southern three-banded Armadillo Cingulata – Dasypodidae Education Animal

NAME Southern Three-banded Armadillo Tolypeutes matacus

APPROXIMATE body length: 218–273 mm (8.6–10.7 in) tail: 60-80 mm (2.4-3.1 in) SIZE weight: 1.4 – 1.6 kg (3.08 - 3.52 lbs)

DISTINGUISHING  Sand to dark brown FEATURES  Head, back, and tail are covered in bone.

 Middle three toes on the back feet are grown together and have a thick claw

 Forefeet toes are separated and have 4 claws

 Have between 2-4 moveable bands (strips of toughened skin).

 The large front & rear portions of the shell are not attached to the skin on the sides, allowing the head, legs, & tail to fit into the shell when rolled up.

 Have about 14-18 rudimentary, peg-like teeth in each jaw.

BEHAVIOR  When threatened, it will roll up into a ball, leaving a small opening between the edges. If probed by an animal through the opening, it will quickly snap shut, possibly injuring and detouring predators.

 Walk on the tips of their fore claws, even when running.  Does not dig own burrows, but has been known to use abandoned anteater burrows for their shelter.

 Obtains food by burrowing into ground nests or under the bark of rotting trees.

 Mainly feed at dusk and night.  Fruit makes up a great amount of their diet during the wet season.  Primarily solitary, have been found at densities of 7 individuals per square kilometer. Groups have been found in same den sites during cold weather.

 Territories are marked by scent

HABITAT Ranges from sea level up to 770 m asl (Argentina). Open grassy areas, open forests, marshes. Eastern Bolivia and south-western Brazil, south through the Gran Chaco of GEOGRAPHIC Paraguay, to Argentina. LOCALE Southern three-banded Armadillo Cingulata – Dasypodidae Education Animal

REPRODUCTION gestation/incubation: 60 – 65 days but with delayed implantation; up to 120 days birth: 1 offspring called a pup

 Weigh 80 g (2.82 oz) at birth

LIFE CYCLE life span: Wild: 5 – 7 Captivity: 15 years  Are born blind  Ability to close their shell within a few hours and the ability to walk develops quickly

 Shell is soft & leathery but hardens a few weeks later  Independent from mom after 72 days  Sexually mature at 9-12 months of age

DIET wild: ants, termites, beetle larvae, other insects, small invertebrates and some fruit

zoo: high protein anteater mix with water like a milkshake

ADAPTATIONS  Only species of armadillo that can roll itself into complete ball when frightened. The ears will tuck in and the head and tail fit together preventing any vulnerable areas being exposed.  Since jaws do not open wide, they gather food with their long, flexible tongues.  Armadillos lack true teeth, but possess a series of "molariform" teeth that do not follow the standard mammal dental formula. 9/9 = 36. All molariforms are located in the upper jaw.  Poor vision due to night time living, have well-developed hearing and smell. Can smell 8” underground.  Has poor thermoregulation. When it encloses into a ball, air gets trapped and is warmed by body heat, which conserves heat loss.

 Protruding hairs from underbelly serve as feelers to navigate through their surroundings.

 Have a low body temperature (90⁰) compared to most mammals.  The protective shell called a carapace is made of true bone, not keratin, and it is covered in scales called scutes. Southern three-banded Armadillo Cingulata – Dasypodidae Education Animal

CONSERVATION/  IUCN Red Data Book – Near Threatened “because this species is probably in STATUS significant decline (albeit at a rate of less than 30% over ten years) because of widespread habitat loss through much of its range, and because of exploitation for food, thus making the species close to qualifying for Vulnerable under criterion A2cd.”

 Wild populations decreasing due to intense hunting and habitat loss.

CLASSIFICATION Class: Mammalia Order: Cingulata Family: Dasypodidae

 20 species of armadillos; all species are native to the Americas.  The superorder, xenarthra currently includes armadillos, sloths and anteaters. Xenarthra means “strange joints” due to the extra articulations their vertebral joints have.

 There are 2 species of 3-banded armadillos: Southern three-banded armadillo (T. matacus) and the Brazilian three-banded armadillo (T. tricinctus).

MISCELLANEOUS  Predators included cats and mostly humans INFORMATION  Head plates of armadillos are unique to them as fingerprints are to humans.  Armadillo means “little armored one” in Spanish.  The Aztec called them “azotochtli” for “turtle-rabbit.”  Armadillo size can range from 5’’ to 37.8”. The pink fairy armadillo is the smallest, averaging weight 8 oz. and the giant armadillo is the largest, weighing up to 132 lbs.

 Are the only animal beside the human that can contract the leprosy bacterium. Due to their low body temperature, it rapidly develops. The armadillo has been responsible for scientists being able to develop a vaccine against leprosy.

 The nine-banded armadillo has become the principle source in biochemical and immunological research. They are the mammal known to always give birth to identical quadruplets. Having 4 identical young has allowed scientists to perform proper controls for experiments.

 The nine-banded is the only armadillo that can be found outside of Latin America. They reside in the southern United States from Texas to Florida.

 Its prehistoric ancestor was called the glyptodon, which went extinct 10,000 years ago. It was 10 feet long and weighed one ton resembling a Volkswagen Beetle. The carapace was so large, early humans sheltered beneath it from snow and rain.

SANTA ANA ZOO  M12035 Male “?” DOB: 8/21/12 ANIMALS Monique Wong 07 Southern three-banded Armadillo Cingulata – Dasypodidae Education Animal