Six-Banded Armadillo
Six-Banded Armadillo
Scientific Name: Euphractus sexcinctus
Habitat: Six-banded armadillos live in the savannahs, grasslands, and forests of South American countries including Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Suriname, and Uruguay.
Diet: Six-banded armadillos are omnivores and eat fruits, tubers, roots, insects, small invertebrates, and carrion.
Size: 1.5 to 2 feet long
Weight: 7 to 14 pounds
Lifespan: 8 to 12 years in the wild, up to 20 years in human care
Distribution Map:
I.U.C.N. Conservation Status:
What does this mean?
Least Concern – a species determined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (I.U.C.N.) to be pervasive, abundant, and thriving.
Our Six-Banded Armadillo:
Turbo (Male) – Born June 23, 2021
Did You Know?!
- Unlike other species of armadillos, the six-banded is diurnal.
- Six-banded armadillos are known for curl up slightly when threatened, facing its hard keratin scales outwards for safety. They are also known to bite or use their long claws to defend themselves or their territory. However, unlike their three-banded relatives, they cannot fully curl up into a ball.
- Six-banded armadillos mostly use their long claws to burrow or find buried food.
- Six-banded armadillos have poor eyesight, but a very good sense of smell and hearing.
- As solitary creatures, six-banded armadillos will scent mark their territory.
- Besides humans, Armadillos are the only species of animals able to carry the disease leprosy.