Giant armadillo

Giant armadillo
Giant armadillo foraging at Nouragues Nature Reserve, Régina
CITES Appendix I (CITES)[2]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Cingulata
Family: Chlamyphoridae
Subfamily: Tolypeutinae
Genus: Priodontes
F. Cuvier, 1825
Species:
P. maximus
Binomial name
Priodontes maximus
(Kerr, 1792)
Giant armadillo range

The giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus), colloquially tatu-canastra, tatou, ocarro or tatú carreta, is the largest living species of armadillo (although their extinct relatives, the glyptodonts, were much larger). It lives in South America, ranging throughout as far south as northern Argentina.[3] This species is considered vulnerable to extinction.[1]

The giant armadillo prefers termites and some ants as prey, and often consumes the entire population of a termite mound. It also has been known to prey upon worms, larvae and larger creatures, such as spiders and snakes, and plants.[4] Some giant armadillos have been reported to have eaten bees by digging into beehives.[5]

At least one zoo park, in Villavicencio, Colombia – Los Ocarros – is dedicated to this animal.

  1. ^ a b Anacleto, T.C.S.; Miranda, F.; Medri, I.; Cuellar, E.; Abba, A.M.; Superina, M. (2014). "Priodontes maximus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2014: e.T18144A47442343. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T18144A47442343.en.
  2. ^ "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 14 January 2022.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference MSW3 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference foodhabits was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Desbiez, Arnaud L.; Oliveira, Bruna; Labão Catapani, Mariana (22 December 2020). "Bee careful! Conflict between beekeepers and giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus) and potential ways to coexist" (PDF). Edentata: The Newsletter of the IUCN/SSC Anteater, Sloth and Armadillo Specialist Group (21): 1–12. doi:10.2305/IUCN.CH.2020.Edentata-20-1.2.en. S2CID 231958749.