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Pink Fairy Armadillo – Weirdass animal of the week

Pink Fairy Armadillo – Weirdass animal of the week

Pink Fairy Armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus)

The Pink Fairy Armadillo is our Weirdass animal of the week and though it doesn’t wield a wand, have wings, or hang out with any Disney characters – it’s still pretty awesome in it’s own right.

Hardcore-science name; Chlamyphorus truncates but also know by Pichiciego is the smallest species of armadillo that we are currently aware of. The little scamp is pretty small and ranges ranges between 90-115 mm in length, excluding tail, and weighs less than a pound of honey, butter or anything else that weighs a pound. The Pink Fairy Armadillo is the only species of armadillo where the dorsal shell is almost completely separate from its body. The pink hue of it’s shell is actually caused due to the very fine layer between the blood vessels and the surface.

This rather unique animal calls Argentina home and while it doesn’t make locally produced pumpkins into horse-drawn carriages, it does like to live in the dry grasslands and sandy plains of it’s home in central Argentina. This sandy environment works well for the pink fairy armadillo as they are excellent diggers. They even have the ability to completely bury themselves in a matter of seconds if threatened. I know right? The next blockbuster Marvel franchise right there! Pink Fairy Armadillo Man ™. You heard it here first.

Pink Fairy Armadillo habitat map

These guys spend almost all of their lives buried and burrowing in the sand/earth, a little bit like a mole and only really come out to play when they are looking for food or a new club opens up. To aid in their underground activities, thy have a hardened shell covering their head – think; miners helmet. They also have some claws that would put Wolverine to shame – the Marvel thing doesn’t look so stupid now does it?! They are a relatively unstudied wonder as they are so hard to, well, study. How elusive are they? Conservationists have been studying armadillos in the pink fairy’s habitat for over a decade and never once seen one in the wild. locals can’t even tell you how to track them and the main way they are found is if they are injured or have died – so pretty damn elusive.

 

About The Author

Luke B

Luke B started life on his day of birth, strangely. He enjoys artistic and creative pursuits such as painting, drawing, sculpture, music, 3D graphics, video games and everything else. He builds websites as his day-job and builds personal ones in his spare time. He also likes Lego.

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