Southern spherical armadillo
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Southern spherical armadillo ( Tolypeutes matacus ) |
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| Tolypeutes matacus | ||||||||||||
| ( Desmarest , 1804) |
The southern spherical armadillo or southern three- banded armadillo ( Tolypeutes matacus ) is a species of mammal from the group of armadillos (Dasypoda), which is widespread in central South America . The species inhabits arid landscapes and is widespread, it feeds mainly on insects , but occasionally also on plant material. It is currently classified as hardly endangered.
features
Habitus
The southern spherical armadillo reaches a head-torso length of 21 to 27 cm (diameter 25.1 cm; measured over the curvature of the back armor 30 to 42 cm, diameter 39 cm), plus a 6 to 8 cm long, relatively immobile Tail. It weighs around 1 to 2 kg, with females obviously being a little heavier. The back armor is strongly built and clearly convex and usually extends to the legs, the individual armor plates are distinctively hexagonal (hexagonal) in shape. The color includes typical yellow tones, although darker animals have also been observed. The armor consists of two clearly separated parts, which cover the shoulder girdle and the pelvic area, both parts are connected by two to four, usually three movable ligaments. Sand-colored bristles emerge at the lower end of the back armor . There is a dark colored fur dress on the stomach . The head is covered by a triangular shield plate, the ears are up to 2.6 cm long and rounded, the tip of the nose usually has a pink tint. The animal has short legs, also protected by plates, but which are also covered by dark fur. The front feet end in four toes, most of which have claws, the longest of which can be up to 2.6 cm in length. The hind feet are provided with five toes, of which the second to fourth are fused and have hoof-like ends. The first and fifth toes, on the other hand, also have claws. When running, the southern spherical armadillo uses the sole of the hind feet, while the front feet only tread with the tips.
Skull and skeletal features
The skull is between 7.4 and 7.7 cm long and has an extensive rostrum that is shaped like a tube. The southern spherical armadillo has no real teeth, but has a number of molar-like tooth formations that do not follow the tooth formula usual for mammals and of which nine occur per branch of the jaw, so a total of 36 pieces. The upper joint of the ulna on the forelimbs is rather short compared to similarly sized armadillos and reaches 1.9 cm in length, with a total bone length of 5.2 cm. This indicates that the southern spherical armadillo only partially pursues a burrowing way of life.
Sensory performances and vocalizations
Overall, the southern spherical armadillo is characterized by a weak sense of sight . The only known utterance is a squeak, which is reminiscent of that of guinea pigs .
distribution and habitat
The southern spherical armadillo lives in South America , here it is distributed from southeastern Bolivia over the southwestern Cerrado belt of Brazil and Paraguay to the north of Argentina . In Paraguay it is often found in the dry Gran Chaco forests, especially in the Boquerón department , but less common in Presidente Hayes and in the Concepción and San Pedro districts . The total size of the distribution area is an estimated 1.2 million square kilometers, the extent of the actually inhabited area is unknown. The altitude distribution reaches up to 800 m above sea level.
The preferred habitat of this armadillo are dry forests and scrubland, with an annual rainfall of around 700 mm, but it can also be found in agricultural areas. Sometimes it can be found near localities. In more humid areas, the southern spherical armadillo prefers palm savannas and gallery forests. The population density is given as one individual per square kilometer in dry forests and two square kilometers and more in secondary or deciduous forests. Especially in southeastern Brazil and Paraguay there is some overlap with the habitats of the six-banded armadillo ( Dasypus septemcinctus ), the giant armadillo ( Priodontes maximus ) and the southern bare- tailed armadillo ( Cabassous unicinctus ).
Way of life
Territorial behavior
The southern spherical armadillo is largely nocturnal and crepuscular, with daytime activity during the rearing of young animals. In the Gran Chaco region, most activities take place between 6:00 PM and 2:00 AM. The activity areas used by the individual animals are between 2 and 46.4 hectares, on average they reach an area of 14 hectares. At the edges they overlap with those of other individuals. Like the northern spherical armadillo ( Tolypeutes tricinctus ), the southern one is also considered to be a poor grave that rarely builds its own burrows. However, when several individuals were observed in central Brazil, excavation activities were more frequent than originally assumed. The burrows dug by the southern spherical armadillo have an average height of 11 cm, a width of 12.8 cm and a depth of 35 cm. In addition, the armadillo retreats in leaf waste, dried plant material, small depressions or in plant nests. However, around three quarters of all animals examined were registered in small burrows, where non-adult individuals dominate over adults. The entrances to the burrows are often covered with leaf waste. It is assumed that the burrows serve the purpose of thermoregulation and the rearing of the offspring rather than primarily the protection against predators . In contrast to its northern relatives, the southern spherical armadillo does not use any burrows created by other animal species as a resting place. In individual hiding places, up to six animals can be observed at the same time in unfavorable or cold weather conditions. Such group formations are only temporary and take one to four days. When moving, the forefoot touches the tips of the claws, the rear foot touches the entire sole.
nutrition
The southern spherical armadillo is an insect eater that ingests its food opportunistically from the ground and does not dig deeper holes in the mostly hard soils of dry forests like other armadillos or purposefully break up ant or termite mounds . In investigations of a total of 66 stomach contents from the Chaco region, less soil residues found, 70% insects, 20% plant material and 10% unidentifiable food residues were identified. All observed remains of invertebrates without exception represent the bottom-dwelling animals. The choice of food depends on the seasons , termites are mainly consumed from July to November. Pseudomyrmex , Pheidole , Crematogaster and Acromyrmex , but also termites of the genus Syntermes that live in underground earth nests, are among the most important forms of food . In addition to ants and termites, other invertebrates such as spiders and beetles are also eaten, the latter including representatives of the Scarabaeiformia . Larvae often dominate here, and they can sometimes fill up to 25% of the entire stomach contents. The southern spherical armadillo also eats fruits, which is also seasonal, including those of the genus Ziziphus . Since soil and the seeds associated with it are often swallowed, which under certain circumstances can account for up to 40% and more of the entire stomach content, it is assumed that the armadillo has an important ecological function in the spread of plants in their habitat.
Reproduction
Female animals in the rut are often harassed by several males, mating usually takes place between July and October. The gestation period is estimated to be 120 days. Usually only one young is born, rarely two, with the main phase of births from October to January. The lactation period lasts around ten weeks. Young animals are clearly similar to adult individuals, but the back armor is still soft. Their weight at birth is only 85 g, it increases to 850 g by the time they are weaned. You can walk from birth and curl up in danger, but the eyes only open after 22 days. Sexual maturity is reached at three to five years of age. The reproduction rate is generally low and is 1.5 young per female per year. The maximum age of a southern spherical armadillo is 12 to 15 years old, animals in captivity are said to be up to 30 years old.
Behavior towards predators
As a rule, a southern spherical armadillo escapes in danger and runs away in zigzag lines, and it often hides in holes in the ground. A threatened animal can curl up into a ball, with the triangular faceplate and the fixed tail closing the opening of the shell. In this position it can hardly be captured by foxes and small cats . The armadillo is also largely protected against larger predators such as puma and jaguar . Studies of 162 animals from the Gran Chaco in Bolivia revealed only two individuals with marginal wounds caused by larger predators. The analysis of more than 200 excrement residues from the two large representatives of the cats from the Chaco region of Paraguay brought only a few indications (eight in total) that they had captured the southern spherical armadillo. Interestingly, remnants of the armadillo are more common in the owl rabbit .
Parasites
Numerous parasites infest the southern spherical armadillo, the outer ones mainly include ticks , often of the genus Amblyomma , which attach themselves to the peritoneum. Among the endoparasites include nematodes as Orihelia or Aspipodera , tapeworms as Mathevotaenia and acanthocephala as Travassosia . The infestation of roundworms in particular is very high; Orihelia alone could be detected in 3.7% of all animals examined.
Systematics
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Internal systematics of the armadillos according to Gibb et al. 2015
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The southern spherical armadillo belongs to the genus of spherical armadillos ( Tolypeutes ), which also includes the northern spherical armadillo ( Tolypeutes tricinctus ). The genus is characterized by the ability to completely curl up into a ball in case of danger. Both species are referred to the group of armadillos (Dasypoda) and to the family of Chlamyphoridae . Within the family, the genus Tolypeutes forms its own subfamily ( Tolypeutinae ), which also includes the giant armadillo ( Priodontes ) and the bare- tailed armadillo ( Cabassous ). The Tolypeutinae represent the sister taxon of the Chlamyphorinae with the girdled gullets, a little further outside in the family sequence are the Euphractinae , to which the bristle armadillos and the six-banded armadillo ( Euphractus ) are assigned. According to molecular genetic studies, the Tolypeutinae and Chlamyphorinae separated in the Oligocene 33 million years ago, and since the early Miocene the Tolypeutinae have been subject to greater diversification.
The genus Tolypeutes can be detected for the first time in the early Pleistocene with the species Tolypeutes pampaeus . However, some researchers consider the species to be synonymous with the southern spherical armadillo, significant finds come from Miramar and the banks of the Río de la Plata in the Argentinean pampan region .
The species Tolypeutes matacus are not assigned any subspecies, it is therefore monotypical . The first description and the assignment of the scientific name took place in 1804 by Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest , but he gave no type specimen and no type locality . His description was based largely on that of Félix de Azara about the southern spherical armadillo, which he published in Le Tatou Mataco in 1801 in the book Essais sur l'Histoire Naturelle des Quadrupèdes de la Province du Paraguay .
Threat and protection
The southern spherical armadillo is classified by the IUCN as " near threatened " due to its widespread distribution in dry areas . However, it is hunted locally by humans as a food resource and, due to the fact that it is easy to catch, it is sometimes kept as a pet. Above all, the resulting trade in the armadillo, often to Europe, in which the majority of the animals die, is seen as a future danger. It is also endangered by illegal slash and burn. In Brazil , populations had declined by 30% since the mid-1990s, but in some areas of Argentina it is now extinct. The greatest danger, however, is the development of habitats through industrialization in the course of raw material extraction. The species occurs in several nature reserves, including the Defensores del Chaco National Park and the Tentiente Agripino Enciso National Park in Paraguay.
literature
- Mariella Superina and Agustín Manuel Abba: Chlamyphoridae (Chlamyphorid armadillos). In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 8: Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2018, pp. 48-71 (p. 71) ISBN 978-84-16728-08-4
Individual evidence
- ↑ Kent H. Redford: The Edentates of Cerrado. Edentata 1, 1994, pp. 4-10
- ↑ a b c d e f g h i j k l P. Smith: Southern Three.banded Armadillo Tolypeutes matacus. Mammals of Paraguay 7, 2007, pp. 1-12
- ↑ a b c d e f g Mariella Superina and Agustín Manuel Abba: Chlamyphoridae (Chlamyphorid armadillos). In: Don E. Wilson and Russell A. Mittermeier (eds.): Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Volume 8: Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2018, pp. 48-71 (p. 71) ISBN 978-84-16728-08-4
- ^ Sergio F. Vizcaíno and N. Milne: Structure and function in armadillo limbs (Mammalia: Xenarthra: Dasypodidae). Journal of Zoology 257, 2002, pp. 117-127
- ↑ AM Abba and M. Superina: Tolypeutes matacus. Edentata 11 (2), 2010, p. 174
- ↑ a b A. M. Abba and M. Superina: Tolypeutes matacus. In: IUCN 2012: IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. ( [1] ), last accessed on January 10, 2017
- ^ Sergio F. Vizcaíno: Armadillo del noreste argentino (Provincias de Jujuy y Salta). Edentata 3, 1997, pp. 7-10
- ^ A b E. Cuéllar: Census of the three-banded armadillo Tolypeutes matacus using dogs, southern Chaco, Bolivia. Mammalia 66 (3), 2002, pp. 448-451
- ↑ Teresa Cristina S. Anacleto, José Alexandre, F. Diniz-Filho and Marcos Vinícius C. Vital: Estimating potential geographic ranges of armadillos (Xenarthra, Dasypodidae) in Brazil under niche-based models. Mammalia 70 (3/4), 2006, pp. 202-213
- ↑ Nina Attias, Flávia R. Miranda, Liana MM Sena, Walfrido M. Tomas and Guilherme M. Mourão: Yes, they can! Three-banded armadillos Tolypeutes sp. (Cingulata: Dasypodidae) dig their own burrows. Zoologia 33 (4), 2016, p. E20160035 doi: 10.1590 / S1984-4689zool-20160035
- ↑ María Luisa Bolkovič, Sandra M. Caziani and Jorge J. Protomastro: Food habitats of the Three-banded armadillo (Xenarthra: Dasypodidae) in the Dry Chaco, Argentinia. Journal of Mammalogy 76 (4), 1995, pp. 1199-1204
- ↑ Mariella Superina and Loughry WJ: Life on the Half Shell: Consequences of a carapace in the Evolution of Armadillos (Xenarthra: Cingulata). Journal of Mammal Evolution 19, 2012, pp. 217-224
- ^ AA Guglielmone, A. Estrada Peña, CA Luciani, AJ Mangold and JE Keirans: Hosts and distribution of Amblyomma auricularium (Conil 1878) and Amblyomma pseudoconcolor Aragão, 1908 (Acari: Ixodidae). Experimental and Applied Acarology 29, 2003, pp. 1-139
- ↑ a b Gillian C. Gibb, Fabien L. Condamine, Melanie Kuch, Jacob Enk, Nadia Moraes-Barros, Mariella Superina, Hendrik N. Poinar and Frédéric Delsuc: Shotgun Mitogenomics Provides a Reference Phylogenetic Framework and Timescale for Living Xenarthrans. Molecular Biology and Evolution 33 (3), 2015, pp. 621-642
- ↑ Maren Möller-Krull, Frédéric Delsuc, Gennady Churakov, Claudia Marker, Mariella Superina, Jürgen Brosius, Emmanuel JP Douzery and Jürgen Schmitz: Retroposed Elements and Their Flanking Regions Resolve the Evolutionary History of Xenarthran Mammals (Armadillos, Anteaters and Sloths). Molecular Biology and Evolution 24, 2007, pp. 2573-2582.
- ↑ Frederic Delsuc, Mariella Superina, Marie-Ka Tilak, Emmanuel JP Douzery and Alexandre Hassanin: Molecular phylogenetics unveils the ancient evolutionary origins of the enigmatic fairy armadillos. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 62, 2012, 673-680
- ^ Paulina E. Nabel, Alberto Cione and Eduardo P. Tonni: Environmental changes in the Pampean area of Argentina at the Matuyama – Brunhes (C1r – C1n) Chrons boundary. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 162, 2000, pp. 403-412
- ↑ Esteban Soibelzon, Ángel Ramón Miño-Boilini, Alfredo Eduardo Zurita and Cecilia Mariana Krmpotic: Los Xenarthra (Mammalia) del Ensenadense (Pleistoceno inferior a medio) de la Región Pampeana (Argentina). Revista Mexicana de Ciencias Geológicas 27 (3), 2010, pp. 449-469
Web links
- Tolypeutes matacus in the endangered Red List species the IUCN 2006. Posted by: Abba & Superina, 2006. Accessed January 10, 2017th