DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
Large hairy armadillo lives in South America, from southern Bolivia to southern Paraguay, Chile and central Argentina. It can be found in grasslands, forests and savannahs.
BEHAVIOUR
Mainly active at night. Armadillo is an excellent digger and spends most of the day in the underground burrow. Burrows can be temporary (short and shallow, related to feeding or urgent need to shelter from a predator) or long-term (deeper and longer, more branched, providing permanent shelter).
DIET
It is omnivorous. The diet is rich mainly in invertebrates, small vertebrates, fruit and carrion. Its main foraging method is to bury itself in the ground in search
of invertebrates.
REPRODUCTION
Most specimens reproduce in late winter or spring. After a gestation period of 60 to 75 days, the female usually gives birth to a litter of one to two young.
GOOD TO KNOW
The head and body of the armadillo are covered with protective bone plates. The back plates are flexible, still providing great protection against predators.
- Latin name: Chaetophractus villosus
- IUCN –Red List – LC – least concern
