The Imperiled Giant Armadillo: Ecology and Conservation

Abstract

The giant armadillo Priodontes maximus is by far the largest of the 20 extant armadillo species with adults weighing well over 30kg and measuring 1.50m from the tip of the nose to the tip of their tail. Giant armadillos’ range over much of South America from Colombia and Venezuela south to Paraguay and Northern Argentina, but they are rare over their entire distribution range. Giant armadillos feed mainly on termites and ants. The species is cryptic, solitary, nocturnal, and have large exclusive home ranges. Forests are fundamental for the species survival, especially during early life stages. Giant armadillos play an important role as ecosystem engineers (e.g., over 70 species have been described using their burrows). Due to their late sexual maturity (7years), single pup litters, and long interbirth rates (approximately 3years), the population growth rate of giant armadillos is very low, and the species can therefore easily be locally extirpated. The giant armadillo is classified as “Vulnerable” to extinction by the IUCN with local extinctions and population declines due to habitat loss, and fragmentation, hunting, road kills, and wildlife trade.