Brazilian three-banded armadillo

The Brazilian three-banded armadillo can roll into a tight ball, becoming thus inaccessible to predators. Its lateral sections freely overlap the body and do not fuse with it.
The Brazilian three-banded armadillo is one of only two armadillo species that can roll into a complete impenetrable ball.
Its armour has three movable bands, allowing it to seal perfectly.
When threatened it snaps shut like a trap.
Litters usually contain one young.
It was the mascot of the 2014 FIFA World Cup (Fuleco).
Local name is “tatu-bola” (ball armadillo).
Walks on the tips of its claws.
Feeds mainly on ants and termites.
Endemic to north-eastern Brazil (Caatinga and Cerrado).

Age

Brazilian three-banded armadillos have a typical lifespan of from 7 to 15 years, although the theoretical maximum lifespan is from 49 years and 2 months to 63 years and 3 months. The species reaches sexual maturity at an age of from 1 to 2 years. During the "Embryo" stage, the developing offspring grows inside the mother’s body. Following birth, the young enters the "Young" stage, where its armor is soft and gradually hardens as it feeds on the mother's milk. The species then progresses to the "Adult" stage, which lasts from 1 to 15 years, during which time the animal can reproduce and completely curl into a ball.

Phenotype

The Brazilian three-banded armadillo has young whose carapace is armor made of bony plates, but this armor is soft and flexible. Adult Brazilian three-banded armadillos possess a hard armor of bony plates covering the back, head, and tail, and three flexible bands allow them to curl into a tight ball. The adult’s head features long ears and an acute nose, with a separate shield of armor covering it. The species has short, strong legs with sharp claws that aid in digging burrows and foraging for food. The adult's tail is short and covered in armor.

Physiology

Brazilian three-banded armadillos have a body length ranging from 22 to 28 centimeters and a body mass of 1.2 kilograms; the embryonic stage has a body mass ranging from 1 to 50 grams; the young have a body mass ranging from 80 to 400 grams and a body length ranging from 10 to 20 centimeters; adult individuals have a body mass ranging from 1 to 1.7 kilograms and a body length ranging from 22 to 28 centimeters.

Habitat

Brazilian three-banded armadillos inhabit land at elevations up to 1 kilometer. The species lives in tropical dry forests, which are hot with a dry season and deciduous trees, and tropical savannas, which are hot with uneven rainfall and abundant grasses and trees. The climate features little precipitation in winter, more precipitation in summer, consistently high temperatures throughout the year, frequent rains but occasional dryness, and very hot summers exceeding 25 to 30 degrees Celsius.

Shelter

The Brazilian three-banded armadillo lives in soil on dry areas and utilizes burrows for shelter. The species uses an excavated underground tunnel or chamber for protection from predators, reproduction, and rest. These burrows serve as a refuge, a place for breeding, and a location for the animal to relax.

Geography

Brazilian three-banded armadillos are found within the Neotropics biogeographical region.

Feeding

The Brazilian three-banded armadillo primarily eats insects, digging into the soil with its strong claws and catching prey with a long, sticky tongue; the species obtains food by excavating soil and using its tongue. Its diet includes ants, termites, beetles, insect larvae, fruits, and insect larvae, as well as butterfly, two-winged, net-winged, hemipteran, dragonfly, mayfly, and caddisfly insects. The daily food requirement for the species ranges from 40 grams to 90 grams.

Reproduction

The Brazilian three-banded armadillos inhabit terrestrial environments and develop on land, away from bodies of water; their embryos develop for 4 months. The female gives birth to live young on land, without hatching from eggs or larvae. A litter has 1–2 young, and the female typically brings one or two offspring. These young are born with soft armor that hardens over several weeks. Parental care is provided only by the mother, and the nest is hidden in an underground burrow. The nest itself, where eggs, larvae, or young develop, is built on or near the ground. Sexual reproduction occurs through homogamy, always involving fertilization and without generational changes. Individuals reach maturity from 1 to 2 years of age, and the interval between reproductive events is from 10 months to 1 year 1 month.