groupsloha.blogg.se - Armadillo girdled lizard

The largest species, the giant armadillo, can weigh up to 54 kg (119 lb), and can be 150 cm (59 in) long. The smallest species of armadillo, the pink fairy armadillo, weighs around 85 g (3.0 oz) and is 13–15 cm (5.1–5.9 in) in total length. Armadillos are increasingly documented in southern Illinois and are tracking northwards due to climate change. Their range has consistently expanded in North America over the last century due to a lack of natural predators. Two species, the northern naked-tailed armadillo and nine-banded armadillo, are found in Central America the latter has also reached the United States, primarily in the south-central states (notably Texas), but with a range that extends as far east as North Carolina and Florida, and as far north as southern Nebraska and southern Indiana. Some, including four species of Dasypus, are widely distributed over the Americas, whereas others, such as Yepes's mulita, are restricted to small ranges. They are particularly diverse in Paraguay (where 11 species exist) and surrounding areas. Today, all extant armadillo species are still present in South America. (Some of their much larger cingulate relatives, the pampatheres and chlamyphorid glyptodonts, made the same journey.) The recent formation of the Isthmus of Panama allowed a few members of the family to migrate northward into southern North America by the early Pleistocene, as part of the Great American Interchange. Due to the continent's former isolation, they were confined there for most of the Cenozoic. Like all of the Xenarthra lineages, armadillos originated in South America. Recent genetic research suggests that an extinct group of giant armored mammals, the glyptodonts, should be included within the lineage of armadillos, having diverged some 35 million years ago, more recently than previously assumed. The dagger symbol, "†", denotes extinct groups.

Brazilian three-banded armadillo, Tolypeutes tricinctusīelow is a recent simplified phylogeny of the xenarthran families, which includes armadillos, based on Slater et al.

Southern three-banded armadillo, Tolypeutes matacus.

Greater naked-tailed armadillo, Cabassous tatouay.

Southern naked-tailed armadillo, Cabassous unicinctus.

Chacoan naked-tailed armadillo, Cabassous chacoensis.

Northern naked-tailed armadillo, Cabassous centralis.

When threatened by a predator, Tolypeutes species frequently roll up into a ball they are the only species of armadillo capable of this. The giant armadillo grows up to 150 cm (59 in) and weighs up to 54 kg (119 lb), while the pink fairy armadillo has a length of only 13–15 cm (5–6 in). The average length of an armadillo is about 75 cm (30 in), including its tail. They have short legs, but can move quite quickly. All species are native to the Americas, where they inhabit a variety of different environments.Īrmadillos are characterized by a leathery armor shell and long, sharp claws for digging. Nine extinct genera and 21 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are distinguished by the number of bands on their armor. The Chlamyphoridae and Dasypodidae are the only surviving families in the order, which is part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. Their unusual appearance and habits make them popular in the pet industry which is a threat to their populations in the wild.Three-banded armadillo skeleton on display at the Museum of Osteology.Īrmadillos (meaning "little armored ones" in Spanish) are New World placental mammals in the order Cingulata.

It is found in dry portions of the Karoo in the extreme west of South Africa.Īrmadillo Girdled Lizards make their home in cracks in rocks where they live in family groups.Īrmadillo Girdled Lizards give birth to one or two babies towards the end of summer. Their defense mechanism when threatened, and they are away from the security of the rocks, is to roll into a ball by biting and hanging on to their tail. The Armadillo Girdled Lizard is covered in plates and scales and spikes giving it an unusual look.