Euphractus sexcinctus (Linnaeus, 1758)

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 : 67

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Six-banded Armadillo

Euphractus sexcinctus

French: Tatou a six bandes / German: Sechsbinden Giirteltier / Spanish: Gualacate

Other common names: Yellow Armadillo

Taxonomy. Dasypus sexcinctus Linnaeus, 1758 ,

“in America Meridionali.” Restrict- ed by O. Thomas in 1907 to Para, Brazil. Five subspecies are recognized.

Subspecies and Distribution. E.s.sexcinctusLinnaeus,1758—SSurinameandBrazilianstatesofAmapaandPara. E.s.boliviaeThomas,1907—BoliviaandNWArgentina(JujuyandSaltaprovinces). E.s.flavimanusDesmarest,1804—SBrazil,Paraguay,NEArgentina,andUruguay. E.s.setosusWied-Neuwied,1826—C,E&SEBrazil. E. s. tucumanus Thomas, 1907 — NW Argentina (Catamarca and Tucuman provinces).

Descriptive notes. Head—body 400-500 mm,tail 200-250 mm, ear 35-41 mm, hindfoot 78-90 mm; weight 3-7 kg. The Six-banded Armadillo is one of the largest species of Cingulata, only exceeded in size and weight by the Giant Armadillo ( Priodontes maximus ) and the Greater Long-nosed Armadillo ( Dasypus kappleri). Female Six-banded Armadillos are slightly heavier than males. Carapace is pale yellow, tan, or reddish tan; it is sparsely covered with white hair and has 6-8 (typically six) movable transverse bands. Marginal scutes on carapace are mostly rectangular. There are 2—4 conspicuous openings for pelvic glands in mid-dorsal scutes of pelvic shield. Ears are proportionally long. Single nuchal band is well developed. Chromosomal complement is 2n = 58, FN = 102.

Habitat. Open savanna, shrubland, and dry, semideciduous forest from sea level to elevations of ¢.1600 m. The Six-banded Armadillo can be found in secondary forests and can also occur in primary Amazonian forest. It adapts well to habitat modifications and occurs in timber plantations; corn, soybean, and sugar cane plantations; pasturelands; and areas with subsistence agriculture.

Food and Feeding. The Six-banded Armadillo is a carnivore-omnivore, eating carrion, small vertebrates (rodents, amphibians, and reptiles), insects (adults and larvae, mainly beetles and hymenopterans), arachnids, bird eggs, and plant material (seeds, grains,fruit, tubers, etc.). It uses olfaction to locate food in the ground and frequently digs shallow foraging holes. Individuals move quickly and roam widely when foraging, sometimes covering large distances (c.2 km).

Breeding. Male and female Six-banded Armadillos become sexually mature at c.9 months of age. Mating occurs in July-December. Gestation lasts 60-64 days, and litters have 1-3 young. Birth occurs inside the burrow, in which the female usually builds a nest with plant material. Birth weights are 95-115 g. Young remain inside the burrow for c.90 days.

Activity patterns. The Six-banded Armadillo is diurnal, generally emerging from the burrow after dawn, butit is occasionally active at night. Complexity of the Six-banded Armadillo’s burrows seems to be related to soil type, topography, and season; simple and complex burrow systems with 1-5 entrances have been observed. Rudimentary nests of vegetation are constructed inside the burrow. Burrow entrances have the shape of an inverted U and are ¢.20 cm wide and 20 cm high. Multiple burrows are used by the same individual.

Movements, Home range and Social organization. The Six-banded Armadillo is mainly solitary but apparently more gregarious than other armadillos. Intraspecific interactions have been repeatedly reported and mainly occur during breeding season. Three types of interactions have been recorded: reproductive (mounting and chasing behavior), exploratory (sniffing burrow entrances and digging), and social behaviors (tolerance,visual contact, and sniffing). Reported home ranges are 0-1-957-9 ha; the best home range estimates are 1-1-96-4 ha for males and 0-1-18-8 ha for females. Home ranges show considerable overlap within and between sexes. Density analyses are scarce: 1-3 ind/km? have been reported from Bolivia and 14 ind/km? from Brazil. Forty-nine individuals were captured along 4580 km oftransects in Brazil.

Status and Conservation. Classified as Least Concern on The IUCN Red List. The Sixbanded Armadillo has a wide distribution and tolerates some habitat modification. It is therefore unlikely to be declining fast enough to qualify for listing in a threatened category. Although it faces no major conservation threats, the Six-banded Armadillo is hunted extensively, mostly for local use as a protein source and for medicinal use. Nevertheless,it is avoided by some hunters because of reputed bad taste because it is thought to eat carrion. It is also frequently killed by vehicles on roads.

Bibliography. Attias (2017), Bonato et al. (2008), Carter & Encarnacao (1983), Catzeflis & de Thoisy (2012), Cuéllar (2008), Dotta & Verdade (2007), Gonzélez et al. (2013), Lim et al. (2005), Medri (2008), Noss et al. (2003), Porfirio et al. (2015), Redford & Wetzel (1985), Schaller (1983), Smith & Redford (1990), Thomas (1907a), Tomas et al. (2013), Wetzel (1985b), Wetzel et al. (2008).

Figures

1. Six-banded Armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus), 2. Screaming Hairy Armadillo (Chaetophractus vellerosus), 3. Large Hairy Armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus), 4. Pichi (Zaedyus pichuy), 5. Pink Fairy Armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus), 6. Greater Fairy Armadillo (Calyptophractus retusus), 7. Giant Armadillo (Priodontes maximus), 8. Northern Naked-tailed Armadillo (Cabassous centralis), 9. Southern Naked-tailed Armadillo (Cabassous unicinctus), 10. Greater Naked-tailed Armadillo (Cabassous tatouay), 11. Chacoan Naked-tailed Armadillo (Cabassous chacoensis), 12. Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus), 13. Southern Three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus)

Subspecies and Distribution. E.s.sexcinctusLinnaeus,1758—SSurinameandBrazilianstatesofAmapaandPara. E.s.boliviaeThomas,1907—BoliviaandNWArgentina(JujuyandSaltaprovinces). E.s.flavimanusDesmarest,1804—SBrazil,Paraguay,NEArgentina,andUruguay. E.s.setosusWied-Neuwied,1826—C,E&SEBrazil. E. s. tucumanus Thomas, 1907 — NW Argentina (Catamarca and Tucuman provinces).