Mammals · Cingulata · Dasypodidae

Pichi

Zaedyus pichiy

Near Threatened

It could become endangered in the near future if current threats go unchecked. See full glossary

The pichi is the armadillo that lives furthest south in the world and the only one that truly hibernates. It is small and compact, with a shell with serrated edges and plenty of hair between the plates. When threatened it does not flee: it hunkers down and drives the sharp rim of its shell into the ground, anchored like a lid that no predator can prise up. It eats insects, carrion, roots and fruit. Hunting for food and dogs are its main threats.

Weight

700 g – 1.5 kg

Size

26 cm – 33 cm

Lifespan

9 years

Diet

Omnivore

Combines animal and plant food depending on availability.

Activity

Nocturnal

Active mainly at night.

Social structure

Solitary

Lives and hunts alone, joining others only to breed.

Sighting difficulty

Moderate

DesertGrasslandOmnivore Diurnal Nocturnal Solitary Near Threatened Desert Grassland Mammal

2countries 13parks3same family

Fun facts

It is the only armadillo that truly hibernates: in Patagonia it spends the winter with its body temperature very low and its metabolism almost halted, and it also enters daily torpor even in summer.
Its defence is neither running nor rolling up but anchoring itself: it flattens against the ground and drives in the toothed rim of its shell, and it takes considerable force to prise it up.

Life cycle & biology

Skeleton type: Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton with a carapace of dermal plates (mammal)
Habitat & environment: Patagonian steppe, dry pampas and arid scrub of southern Argentina and Chile
Sexual maturity: 10.5 months
Gestation / incubation: 2 months
Litter / clutch size: 2

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zaedyus_pichiy