3/8/2023 0 Comments Fairy armadillo![]() ![]() Illustrations of the pink fairy armadillo from 1828, from a pamphlet in our archives. The shell’s color comes from blood vessels close to the surface. At about 6 inches long, it's the world's smallest armadillo. You know an animal is special when your social media manager has to check to make sure it's real. Thanks to the Smithsonian, our hard-shelled fairy friend, a sort of real-life Pokémon, is getting a well-deserved boomlet of attention: Fish & Wildlife Service lists it as endangered. What limited scholarship exists paints a worrying picture of a creature highly susceptible to minute environmental changes (it’s very hard to keep in captivity), and it may be under threat from farming and invasive species. 3 This solitary, desert-adapted animal is endemic to central Argentina and can be found inhabiting sandy plains, dunes, and scrubby grasslands. Not much is known about this nocturnal and subterranean creature that burrows under the dry Argentinian grasslands with “huge claws and busy little tractor bum.” Humans rarely get a glimpse. The pink fairy armadillo ( Chlamyphorus truncatus) or pichiciego is the smallest species of armadillo (mammals of the families Chlamyphoridae and Dasypodidae, recognized by a bony armor shell), first described by Richard Harlan in 1825. It’s also very, very shy, according to this WIRED profile. What a beautiful, strange thing! At only six inches, it is the world’s smallest known armadillo that pink-hued shell is colored by blood-vessels that help the armadillo regulate its body temperature. They have long, ringed tails which help with balance. They have sharp claws on their paws which also aid in digging. The pink fairy armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus) or pichiciego is the smallest species of armadillo (mammals of the families Chlamyphoridae and Dasypodidae. Pink fairy armadillos are endemic to the deserts and scrub lands of central Argentina. Armadillos have triangular-shaped heads which they use for digging and burrowing in the ground. Chlamyphorus truncatuspink fairy armadillo Geographic Range. The armor is made of bone and covered in hairy spikes. When the Smithsonian tweeted a photo of the pink fairy armadillo this week, I did a double-take. Ground-dwelling mammal covered in gray body armor. If you’re in the market for a new Pride Month mascot, look no further. Fight disinformation: Sign up for the free Mother Jones Daily newsletter and follow the news that matters. ![]()
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