Pink Fairy Armadillo
Chlamyphorus truncates
Status – Threatened
Also known as the Pichiciego, this unique animal - the smallest species of armadillo - resides in the dry grasslands and sandy plains of central Argentina.
It is a 5-inch long, quarter pound animal with a rosy shell atop silky white hair. The pink fairy armadillo unlike other armadillos’ shell is not fully attached to its body. Instead the shell connects with a membrane that runs along the spinal column. The thin carapace’s underlying blood vessels actually show through, giving it that beautiful pink hue.
Spending most of its time underground, it’s an extremely well-adapted burrower, tunneling just 6 inches below the sandy surface with its enormous claws. In fact, they have the ability to completely bury themselves in a matter of seconds if threatened. The size of its claws makes it difficult to walk on hard surfaces. Their diet consists of various invertebrates and plant matter. It is a rarely seen, almost totally unstudied marvel.
Information provided by: a-z-animals.com, www.wired.com (Magazine Issue: Vol. 184, November 16, 2013.
