Tuesday 18 June
Andean hairy armadillo (Chaetophractus nationi)

Andean hairy armadillo fact file
- Description
- Biology
- Range
- Habitat
- Status
- Threats
- Conservation
- Find out more
- Glossary
- References
- Print factsheet
Andean hairy armadillo description
| Kingdom | Animalia |
| Phylum | Chordata |
| Class | Mammalia |
| Order | Cingulata |
| Family | Dasypodidae |
| Genus | Chaetophractus (1) |
Armadillos are one of the oldest groups of mammals. Once thought to be closely related to turtles because of their tough protective carapaces, zoologists now classify them in the mammalian order Cingulata. Their closest relatives are anteaters and sloths (4). The entire upperside of the body is armoured with bony plates (scutes) that form in the dermis of the skin, and which are covered with small scales. Armadillos are the only living mammals in which bone formation occurs outside the “traditional” skeleton (5). The armouring extends to the top of the head, which bears dark plates like a helmet, and to the thin tail. Unlike other armadillos, members of the Chaetophractus genus have light brown hair between the chinks of the armoured scales, as well as on its legs and underside (2). These animals are well adapted for digging and foraging in the undergrowth and have short legs, long powerful claws, and pointed snouts (2).
- Spanish
- Quirquincho Andino.
Andean hairy armadillo biology
This fascinating animal forages by moving slowly along, snuffing through the soil and leaf litter. Once food has been sniffed out, it is dug up with the fore-claws (4). An omnivorous species, the Andean hairy armadillo’s varied diet includes insects, larvae, fruits, roots and carrion (6) (7). Individuals are known to dig beneath decomposing carcasses to find a feast of maggots and insects (2). Like many other armadillo species, the Andean hairy armadillo also employs its powerful claws for digging burrows, in which it lives, rears offspring and uses to escape from predators (2) (4).
Andean large hairy armadillo courtship involves the male following the female avidly, and mating occurs with the male mounting the female from behind. Male armadillos have one of the longest penises amongst mammals, extending to two-thirds of the body length (4). While little is currently known of this species’ reproductive biology, it probably reaches sexual maturity at 9 to 12 months of age, and gives birth to a litter of one or two offspring during the summer (5).
TopAndean hairy armadillo range
The Andean hairy armadillo occurs in Bolivia, northern Chile and northern Argentina (1).
TopAndean hairy armadillo habitat
The Andean hairy armadillo lives exclusively in open high-altitude grasslands (2).
TopAndean hairy armadillo status
Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List (1) and listed on Appendix II of CITES (3).
TopAndean hairy armadillo threats
The hard outer covering of the Andean hairy armadillo is good protection from predators, but humans can easily catch and kill them (2). They are extensively hunted and traded, both for food, for their shell, which is used to make musical instruments that are often sold to tourists, and for other body parts, which are used to make amulets and traditional medicines (1) (8). In addition, this species is also persecuted for its disruptive burrowing on agricultural land (1). Habitat loss from deforestation, sand extraction for road construction, and agricultural development are also ongoing and increasing threats (4) (8).
TopAndean hairy armadillo conservation
International trade of the Andean hairy armadillo is prohibited by its listing on Appendix II of the Convention of International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES), which specifies an annual trade quota of zero (3) (8). It is hoped that this measure will reduce trade in this species and therefore the extent to which it is hunted, although enforcement on trade in souvenirs is often inadequate (8). Furthermore, despite additional protection by national laws prohibiting the capture and trade of the Andean hairy armadillo in Bolivia, demand for armadillo products continues. Fortunately the non-governmental organization Tamandua along with the Bolivian Ministry of Sustainable Development and Planning are working to develop a national conservation programme for the Andean hairy armadillo. Their efforts should help to ensure a future for this charismatic species (8).
TopAuthentication
Authenticated (04/09/2009) by Dr. Mariella Superina, Chair of the IUCN/SSC Anteaters, Sloths and Armadillos Specialist Group.
http://www.xenarthrans.org/
Glossary
- Carapace
- The top shell of a turtle. In arthropods (insects, crabs etc), the fused head and thorax (the part of the body located near the head) also known as ‘cephalothorax’.
- Carrion
- The flesh of a dead animal.
- Genus
- A category used in taxonomy, which is below ‘family’ and above ‘species’. A genus tends to contain species that have characteristics in common. The genus forms the first part of a ‘binomial’ Latin species name; the second part is the specific name.
- Nocturnal
- Active at night.
References
- IUCN Red List (July, 2009)
http://www.iucnredlist.org - Nowak, R.M. (1999) Walker’s Mammals of the World. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore.
- CITES (January, 2004)
http://www.cites.org - Macdonald, D. (2001) The New Encyclopedia of Mammals. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
- Superina, M. (2000) Biologie und Haltung von Gürteltieren (Dasypodidae). [Biology and maintenance of armadillos (Dasypodidae)]. Doctoral Thesis. Institut für Zoo-, Heim- und Wildtiere, Universität Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
- Merrett, P.K. (1983) Edentates. Project for City and Guilds: Animal Management Course. The Zoological Trust of Guernsey, Guernsey.
- Redford, K. and and Eisenberg, J. (1992) Mammals of the Neotropics. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.
- Peredo, B. (1999) Bolivia’s Trade in Hairy Armadillos. TRAFFIC Bulletin, 18: 41 - 45.
More »Related species
Close
Image credit
© E. & D. Hosking / www.flpa-images.co.uk
FLPA - images of nature
Pages Green House
Wetheringsett
Stowmarket
Suffolk IP14 5QA
United Kingdom
Tel: +44 (0) 1728 861 113
Fax: +44 (0) 1728 860 222
pictures@flpa-images.co.uk
http://www.flpa-images.co.uk
Close
Link to this photo
Embed this ARKive thumbnail link by copying and pasting the code below.
Terms of Use - The displayed thumbnail may be used as a link from your website to ARKive's online content for private, scientific, conservation or educational purposes only. It may NOT be used within Apps.
Read more about
Close
MyARKive
MyARKive offers the scrapbook feature to signed-up members, allowing you to organize your favourite ARKive images and videos and share them with friends.
Close
Terms and Conditions of Use of Materials
Copyright in this website and materials contained on this website (Material) belongs to Wildscreen or its licensors.
Visitors to this website (End Users) are entitled to:
- view the contents of, and Material on, the website;
- download and retain copies of the Material on their personal systems in digital form in low resolution for their own personal use;
- teachers, lecturers and students may incorporate the Material in their educational material (including, but not limited to, their lesson plans, presentations, worksheets and projects) in hard copy and digital format for use within a registered educational establishment, provided that the integrity of the Material is maintained and that copyright ownership and authorship is appropriately acknowledged by the End User.
End Users shall not copy or otherwise extract, alter or manipulate Material other than as permitted in these Terms and Conditions of Use of Materials.
Additional use of flagged material
Green flagged material 
Certain Material on this website (Licence 4 Material) displays a green flag next to the Material and is available for not-for-profit conservation or educational use. This material may be used by End Users, who are individuals or organisations that are in our opinion not-for-profit, for their not-for-profit conservation or not-for-profit educational purposes. Low resolution, watermarked images may be copied from this website by such End Users for such purposes. If you require high resolution or non-watermarked versions of the Material, please contact Wildscreen with details of your proposed use.
Creative commons material
Certain Material on this website has been licensed to Wildscreen under a Creative Commons Licence. These images are clearly marked with the Creative Commons buttons and may be used by End Users only in the way allowed by the specific Creative Commons Licence under which they have been submitted. Please see http://creativecommons.org for details.
Any other use
Please contact the copyright owners directly (copyright and contact details are shown for each media item) to negotiate terms and conditions for any use of Material other than those expressly permitted above. Please note that many of the contributors to ARKive are commercial operators and may request a fee for such use.
Save as permitted above, no person or organisation is permitted to incorporate any copyright material from this website into any other work or publication in any format (this includes but is not limited to: websites, Apps, CDs, DVDs, intranets, extranets, signage, digital communications or on printed materials for external or other distribution). Use of the Material for promotional, administrative or for-profit purposes is not permitted.













