Mammals · Cingulata · Dasypodidae

Large Hairy Armadillo

Chaetophractus villosus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk. See full glossary

The large hairy armadillo is the commonest and most conspicuous armadillo of the Argentine pampas and reaches as far as the Patagonian steppe. It owes its name to the long, coarse hairs that show between the plates of its shell, more abundant than in other armadillos and helping it conserve heat in cold climates. It is omnivorous and opportunistic: it eats insects, worms, carrion, roots and fruit. It digs quick, shallow burrows and is one of the few armadillos to have thrived in farmed landscapes.

Weight

2 kg – 6 kg

Size

22 cm – 40 cm

Lifespan

12 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Irregular activity

Active at irregular times, by day or night depending on circumstances.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

DesertGrasslandOmnivore Variable activity Solitary Desert Grassland Mammal

4countries 20parks3same family

Fun facts

It changes its timetable with the season: it is nocturnal in the pampas summer to escape the heat and diurnal in winter to make use of the sunlit hours.
The hairs between the plates of its shell are an adaptation to cold that has let it reach further south than any other armadillo apart from the pichi.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton with a carapace of dermal plates (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Pampas, Patagonian steppe, thorn scrub and farmland of southern South America
Sexual maturity: 9 months
Gestation / incubation: 2.2 months
Litter / clutch size: 2

Sources consulted: https://www.iucnredlist.org/ | https://animaldiversity.org/ | https://es.wikipedia.org/