The “little armored ones,” or armadillos as most people know them, are interesting tiny critters, but pink fairy armadillos are pretty much out of this world.
The nocturnal, solitary animal is the smallest of the 20 species and can only be found in the central region of Argentina. The weird little creature’s colouration is undeniably striking. His pink armor contrasts nicely with his fluffy body. Yet scientists are even more perplexed by them than the general public. Much of the pink fairy armadillo’s backstory is still shrouded in mystery.
According to a study done in 2012, fairy armadillos (also known as pichiciegos) are extremely difficult to spot. Their basic biology and evolutionary history are largely unknown because of their nocturnal and underground habits. But one fact remains undeniable: the pink fairy armadillo cannot survive outside his natural environment.
It’s not uncommon for pink fairy armadillos to be poached from their natural habitat and sold on the black market as pets, even though they cannot thrive in captivity. Most of these animals perish within the first week of being removed from their natural environment. Scientists have concluded that pink fairy armadillos are solitary animals since they rarely encounter other individuals in the wild. The land used for farming is also encroaching on the pink fairy armadillo’s habitat. Because to the fact that they seek refuge underground, these animals are vulnerable to having their burrows destroyed by farming and cattle grazing. Many of the insects that the pink fairy armadillo eats can be eliminated with certain pesticides.
A pink fairy armadillo is a what? The pink fairy armadillo, or Chlamyphorus truncatus as it’s formally known in the scientific community, is notoriously diminutive. It occurs solely in the middle Argentine deserts. The dwarf pink fairy armadillo can maintain a constant internal temperature thanks to its unique shell. The pink fairy armadillo is sometimes called a sand swimmer since it prefers to make its home in desert burrows.
How long does it take for a pink fairy armadillo to reach maturity? The pink fairy armadillo (order cingulata, family chlamyphoridae) has only been observed living in captivity for four to six years. Unfortunately, knowing that they do not fare well in captivity is good. The average lifespan of a pink fairy armadillo is between 5 and 10 years. Domestic dogs and cats are just two of the many predators that pose a threat to this animal.
Really, how adorable are they? Pink fairy armadillos are cute, oddball creatures. Despite this, they are known to be an introverted and solitary race. Given that they are endemic to just Central Argentina, little is known about them. So, how do they talk to one another? The only fact known about the captive pink fairy armadillos is that if anything was moved in their cage, they screamed and ran around it. You could interpret this as a stress response or a warning. We need to learn more about their verbal or other forms of communication.
Is there a record for the fastest speed at which a pink fairy armadillo ran? Could You Keep Them as a Pet? The maximum speed of the pink fairy armadillos is 3.5 kilometres per hour (2.5 miles). Due to their capacity to burrow and get around underground, they are commonly called sand swimmers. Due to how their bodies are built, they are much more efficient as diggers and burrowers. Since the pink fairy armadillo has evolved to survive in only one type of environment, keeping one as a pet is not a good idea. All efforts to keep one in captivity have been fruitless as the animal succumbs to its confinement within days. Traping this animal is a good idea once we know more about it.
The number of pink fairy armadillos is unknown. There are probably little more than one hundred pink fairy armadillos in the wild at any given time. Because of this species’ declining population and unique geographic location, very little data is available. There is no way to quantify the pink fairy armadillo population because it is unknown if some individuals enjoy keeping them as pets.
The life of this beautifully pink critter rests on the Argentinean Minister of Environment doing more to safeguard the dry ecosystem in which it lives, and people from all over the world have been signing a petition to this effect. Florida resident “We must take care of this Earth and the animals on it,” stated in the petition.
“Why would anyone NOT want to save this precious creature?” another wrote. “It took millions of years to evolve, and it makes us humans look like idiots to allow it to die out through neglect.” You can sign the petition to help save the pink fairy armadillo (www.thepetitionsite.com/).
According to, Sonyaz
(Photos right to the original owner)
