Pink Fairy Armadillo: Unknown or Extinct

pink fairy armadillo

Have you ever heard of the Pink Fairy Armadillo? That’s probably because they are going extinct, or it could be because they only live in Central Argentina and can’t be easily tracked.

The Pink Fairy Armadillo is so different from any other animal that some people say they should have their own genus. They are the smallest species of Armadillo, weighing in at less than one pound and anywhere from 3.5-4.5 inches in length.  They only live about 5-10 years in the wild. In captivity they die within 8 days because they are very easily stressed. It lives in the sandy plains of Argentina and must have very dry soil to burrow in. They tend to live by themselves, but near ant hills since that’s their favorite food. They are the only armadillos that have their shell almost completely unattached to it body.

One cool thing about Pink Fairy Armadillos is that they are amazing diggers. They can completely bury them self in seconds if they feel threatened, which is probably a lot considering that their main predators are dogs. They spend most of their time underground so they have to have super cool claws. In fact their front claws allow them to go through the sand almost like they’re swimming. The claws are so huge that they sometimes can’t walk on hard surfaces. Another cool thing about them is their tail. To them is almost like a fifth leg and causes better stability when they have to use all four legs to dig with.

The Pink Fairy Armadillo is nocturnal and doesn’t like to come out of its burrow. The only time they surface is when they run into something they can’t dig through or if their burrow gets flooded. This is probably the reason almost knows one knows about them. Another theory is that they are being found and brought home as pets then die from stress, or are killed by dogs.

Either way they are very rare, and now you can say you are one of the few that know about Pink Fairy Armadillos.

  1. Find new information about whether they are going extinct?
  2. Is climate change affecting this armadillo?
  3. Why are dogs the main predator of this armadillo?

11 thoughts on “Pink Fairy Armadillo: Unknown or Extinct

  1. You caught my attention at Pink Armadillo! I have never heard of such a thing, and your blog was very interesting, I wanted to know more about that creature. They look so soft and delicate it is a shame to see them go extinct because of stress, or dogs. After reading the blog I was interested enough to do some research on my own about this pink armadillo, their scientific name is Chlamyphorus truncates. I also found out that when they mate the female gives birth to one offspring and its shell does not harden until it is fully grown. This is where I found my information: http://a-z-animals.com/animals/pink-fairy-armadillo/

  2. This blog was very educational. I have never heard of the pink fairy armadillo before, and also didn’t know that they are going extinct. It’s unbelievable to think that a creature who is so unknown is going extinct. It’s also interesting that their shells are barely attached to their bodies. In this article, I read that the shell is anchored to two large prominences in the bone above the eyes.

    http://armadillo-online.org/chlamyphorus.html

  3. This blog was so interesting. I never even hear of a Pink Fairy Armadillo. They are the smallest species of Armadillo, and way less than one pound. In captivity they die within 8 days because they are very easily stressed. Since they are so small I didn’t think they would be amazing diggers and can completely bury them self in seconds. Who would think there tail would be almost like a fifth leg.

    http://thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Xenarthra/Dasypodidae/Chlamyphorus/Chlamyphorus-truncatus.html

  4. Pink Fairy Armadillo are the smallest species of armadillo. It would be hard to see them sense they only come out of their holes when it is night outside to search for food. Also the female only have one baby at a time and it has a soft shell. They have been listed a threatened species since the 1970s. I thought this article was very interesting I didn’t even know about these creatures until today. I did some research on them and it is really interesting to see how other animals live other than us I mean just imagine living in the ground for the rest of your life and eating ants and only come out at night.
    http://a-z-animals.com/animals/pink-fairy-armadillo/

  5. I also found this blog very interesting. I had never heard of this creature before reading this blog. I learned that that they are only found in central Argentina. They are nocturnal animals and live in burrows under the ground. This is why they are so hard to find. From doing further research I found out that they have claws that help them did up bugs and creepy crawler from underground for food. I was very interested in learning about this creature.

    Source:
    http://www.factzoo.com/mammals/pink-fairy-armadillos.html

  6. I found this blog about the pink fairy armadillo very intriguing and thought provoking. I’m sure that everyone gets a little melancholy when they hear about an animal that is near extinction or going to be. I learned that the pink fairy armadillo is declining in population because of the “spread of human civilization”. I also learned that the armadillo uses a chemical and tactile way to communicate. Here’s a link to where I found it:
    http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/accounts/Chlamyphorus_truncatus/

  7. This is such an amazing creature. It’s cool how well this animal is adapted for its sandy habitat in Argentina. With their long claws and scales along their backs they are perfectly designed to swim in the sand. They have a very diverse diet that includes ants, worms, other insects, some plants, and a few roots. Their light pink or tan scales help them to blend into their habitat, so that predators will not see them. Although if doesn’t work, they can dive beneath the sand very quickly. It’s sad that not many people know about this species of armadillo. I admit that I had never heard of the pink fluffy armadillo until I read this article. It is our responsibility to keep unique animals such as this armadillo from going extinct so that can continue to be amazed by them.

    Source:
    http://www.factzoo.com/mammals/pink-fairy-armadillos.html

  8. I’ve never heard of the pink fairy armadillo until now, so I find this blog quite interesting.
    Scientists are having issues trying to find out whether the species is going extinct or not because there isn’t enough data to conclude anything. Scientists first need to collect data on the pink fairy armadillo population before deciding whether or not they’re endangered.
    I have learned that in the article below that unlike most armadillos, the pink fairy armadillo’s shell is very fragile and is thus not really used for armor like most other kinds of armadillos.
    http://www.wired.com/2014/01/absurd-creature-of-the-week-pink-fairy-armadillo-crawls-out-of-the-desert-and-into-our-hearts/

  9. This blog was very educational. I did not know about these animals and it is sad to hear that they are going extinct. But I researched some of the questions you had and found that they loose heat quicker then the larger animals. I also read that the shell is not fully attached to their bodies. This was all fascinating to me and I hope to learn more about them in the future.
    http://www.wired.com/2014/01/absurd-creature-of-the-week-pink-fairy-armadillo-crawls-out-of-the-desert-and-into-our-hearts/

  10. This blog is very interesting, because I had never heard of the pink fairy armadillo before. It’s sad to think that people or other animals may be causing these creatures to die off. I hope scientists can find out more ways to protect them and their homes. It’s strange and fascinating that their shells aren’t completely attached to their bodies. I learned in this article that their color is due to the fact that their blood vessels are partially visible through their skin.

    http://www.wired.com/2014/01/absurd-creature-of-the-week-pink-fairy-armadillo-crawls-out-of-the-desert-and-into-our-hearts/

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