Calyptophractus retusus (Burmeister, 1863)

Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Chlamyphoridae, Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona: Lynx Edicions, pp. 48-71 : 69

6.

Greater Fairy Armadillo

Calyptophractus retusus

French: Tatou de Burmeister / German: BurmeisterGuirtelmull / Spanish: Pichiciego chaqueno

Other common names: Burmeister’s Armadillo, Burmeister’s Fairy Armadillo, Chacoan Fairy Armadillo, Greater Pichiciego

Taxonomy. Chlamyphorus retusus Bur- meister, 1863,

“Sta Cruz de la Sierra,” Santa Cruz, Bolivia. This species is monotypic .

Distribution. Gran Chaco region of C & SE Bolivia, W Paraguay, and N Argentina (from E Salta and Formosa S to Santiago del Estero provinces).

Descriptive notes. Head-body 120-170 mm, tail 30-40 mm, ear 5-6 mm, hindfoot ¢.39 mm; weight 90-130 g. The

Greater Fairy Armadillo is subterranean, small, and mole-like, with fusiform body shape. Carapace is pinkish, completely attached to skin of back and head, with vertical, rounded plate that caps rump and 23-25 movable transverse bands. Rounded head shield is wider than on the Pink Fairy Armadillo and extends laterally and ventrally to level of eye. Ventral and lateral parts of body are covered with abundant white silky hair. Digging claws are enlarged, and tip oftail is rounded. Eyes and ears are greatly reduced in size, and only the latter are visible. The Greater Fairy Armadillo walks on tips of front claws, and hindfeet are directed inward.

Habitat. Endemic to the Chaco region, where it is apparently patchily distributed and confined to areas with soft and sandy soil. The Greater Fairy Armadillo can be found in disturbed habitat and encountered close to villages and other populated areas.

Food and Feeding. The Greater Fairy Armadillo seems to be insectivorous, eating subterranean invertebrates and their larvae.

Breeding. Female Greater Fairy Armadillos presumably give birth to single young.

Activity patterns. The Greater Fairy Armadillo is subterranean, possibly nocturnal, and rarely observed. It probably occupies a similar ecological role to the Old World moles in the family Talpidae .

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Greater Fairy Armadillo is presumed to be solitary, but it has not been studied in the wild or in captivity.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Data Deficient on The IUCN Red List. The Greater Fairy Armadillo seems to be patchily distributed in appropriate microhabitats that are subject to ongoing habitat loss. In part of its distribution,it is killed whenever encountered due to the local belief that seeing one is an omen of bad luck, portending impending death of someone in the viewer’s family. Apparently, the only way to avoid this calamity is to kill the armadillo.

Bibliography. Cuéllar (2001), Cuéllar & Noss (2003), Delsuc et al. (2012), Smith (2009), Torres et al. (2015), Wetzel (1985b), Wetzel et al. (2008), Yepes (1939).

Figures

On following pages: 3. Large Hairy Armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus); 4. Pichi (Zaedyus pichiy); 5. Pink Fairy Armadillo (Priodontes maximus): 8. Northern Naked-tailed Armadillo (Cabassous centralis); 9. Southern Naked-tailed Armadillo Armadillo (Cabassous chacoensis); 12. Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutestricinctus); 13. Southern Three-banded (Chlamyphorus truncatus); 6. Greater Fairy Armadillo (Calyptophractus retusus); 7. Giant Armadillo (Cabassous unicinctus); 10. Greater Naked-tailed Armadillo (Cabassous tatouay); 11. Chacoan Naked-tailed Armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus).

Distribution. Gran Chaco region of C & SE Bolivia, W Paraguay, and N Argentina (from E Salta and Formosa S to Santiago del Estero provinces).