Most people think ; Armadillos are mammals covered in a kind of bony shell, the “little armored ones” are already fascinating little creatures — but pink fairy armadillos are pretty much out of this world. You can watch video (15 strange but true fun facts about armadillos) at the end of the this article.
The solitary, nocturnal animal is just about 6 inches long, making him the tiniest of the 20 varieties of the animal, and is found only in central Argentina. But what’s most remarkable about this odd little creature is obviously his color: The armor covering his furry body is a light shade of pink. Not only that, scientists are pretty much baffled by them. Many details about the pink fairy armadillo remain a mystery.
“Fairy armadillos or pichiciegos are among the most elusive mammals,” reads a 2012 study. “Due to their subterranean and nocturnal lifestyle, their basic biology and evolutionary history remain virtually unknown.” Despite this, one thing is perfectly clear about the pink fairy armadillo: He can’t survive without his habitat.
Pink fairy armadillos are sometimes illegally removed from the wild to be kept or sold on black markets as pets, but they literally cannot survive captivity. Most die within eight days of being taken away from their habitat. When pink fairy armadillos are seen in the wild, they are usually alone, leading scientists to believe they are solitary creatures. Also, the pink fairy armadillo’s habitat is being increasingly converted to farmland. Because they burrow underground, the plowing of fields and the grazing of cattle can wreck the animals’ hiding places. And some pesticides can wipe out many of the insects the pink fairy armadillo eats.
What Type Of Animal Is A Pink Fairy Armadillo? The pink fairy armadillo (scientific name Chlamyphorus truncatus) is known to be one of the smallest species on the earth. It is found in the deserts of central Argentina only. The dwarf pink fairy armadillo has a unique shell body that allows it to regulate bodily temperatures. Pink fairy armadillos like to live in burrows in the desert and the species is hence also known as a sand swimmer.
How Long Does A Pink Fairy Armadillo Live? In captivity, the pink fairy armadillo (order cingulata family chlamyphoridae) has a life span of four to six years, this has only been documented once. It is a well known fact that they do not survive in captivity for very long. The pink fairy armadillo life span is around 5-10 years. It faces threats from various predators including domestic dogs and cats.
How Cute Are They? The pink fairy armadillos are definitely cute strange looking creatures. But they are also known as a shy and lonely species. They are only found in Central Argentina, due to which not much information is available about them. How Do They Communicate? Only one thing is known about the pink fairy armadillos that were kept in captivity, that when anything was changed in its cage, it ran around the cage screaming. This could be considered as some sort of a stress response or warning. Apart from this, not much is known about their voice or non-voice-related communication.
How Fast Can A Pink Fairy Armadillo Run? Would They Make A Good Pet? The pink fairy armadillos can run up to 2 mph or 3.5 kph. They are known as sand swimmers for their ability to burrow and navigate underground. Because of their body structure, they can dig faster and travel through the burrows faster too. It would not be advisable to have the pink fairy armadillos pets as it is a very sensitive creature who has adapted to only one kind of geographical condition. And all attempts to have them in captivity have failed, as it dies after a few days in captivity. Until and unless more information is available about this animal, it woudn’t be a good idea to capture them.
How Many Pink Fairy Armadillos Are There In The World? The total population of the pink fairy armadillo species is estimated at about 100 individuals only. Not much information is available about this species due to its dwindling population and single geographical location. It is not known if some people like to keep pink fairy armadillo as pets, hence it is not possible to estimate their population.
People all over the world having been signing a petition asking the Argentinean Minister of Environment to do more to conserve the arid habitat this fantastically pink creature calls home — because the animal’s life literally depends on it. “We must take care of this Earth and the animals on it,” a Florida resident who signed the petition wrote.
“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.” To help save the pink fairy armadillo, you can sign the petition (www.thepetitionsite.com/).
