Armadillo
FRANK THE TANK joined us in 2014 from another animal sanctuary in California that had an excess of armadillos. He is a yellow armadillo, a species native to South America. A true bachelor at heart—male armadillos prefer the single life—Frank might appreciate some creative matchmaking ideas! One of his favorite pastimes is digging a shallow hole, flipping upside down in it, covering himself with dirt, and taking a nap. It’s quite a sight to see just his legs and tail sticking up out of the ground!
ORDER: CINGULATA
FAMILY: CHLAMYPHORIDAU
GENUS: EUPHRATES
SPECIES: SEXCINCTUS
Most active during daylight hours, (diurnal), they eat plant matter and protein, especially insects, (insectivores/omnivores), they have the superpower of being soil aerators and natural architects. They create homes for other species in their biomes, by abandoning old chambers and creating new ones wherever they go. They have extremely poor vision but an excellent sense of smell to detect prey and predators. They are polygamists (More than 1 mate). They are anti-social preferring company only during breeding. They reproduce year-round, are pregnant 64 days, normally producing 1 to 3 babies at a time. A baby is called a “pup”. They sexually mature at 9 months of age.
Threats
Farmers hunt and trap them. The meat is usually thrown away due to the possibility of contracting Leprosy or Hepatitis.
Conservation Status
LC - Least Concern