The genus ''Tolypeutes'' contains the two species of three-banded

armadillo Armadillos () are New World placental mammals in the order (biology), order Cingulata. They form part of the superorder Xenarthra, along with the anteaters and sloths. 21 extant species of armadillo have been described, some of which are dis ...

s. They are restricted to open and semi-open habitats in

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

. Of the several armadillo genera, only ''Tolypeutes'' rely heavily on their armor for protection. When threatened by a

predator Predation is a biological interaction in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats another organism, its prey. It is one of a family of common List of feeding behaviours, feeding behaviours that includes parasitism and micropredation ...

, ''Tolypeutes'' species frequently roll up into a ball. Other armadillo species cannot roll up because they have too many plates. This species is endangered due to hunting and

deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...

of its native Brazilian habitat. They lack the ability to dig burrows like their competitors, instead relying on abandoned ones. Deforestation is a critical concern because it reduces available burrows, leaving them exposed to predators and human activity.

Species

There are two recognized species:

References

*http://www.msu.edu/~nixonjos/armadillo/tolypeutes.html *http://www.thewebsiteofeverything.com/animals/mammals/Xenarthra/Dasypodidae/Tolypeutes/index.html * Melo, Siqueira, J. A., Santos, B. A., Álvares-da-Silva, O., Ceballos, G., & Bernard, E. (2014). Football and Biodiversity Conservation: FIFA and Brazil Can Still Hit a Green Goal. Biotropica, 46(3), 257–259. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.12114 * Deem, Sharon L., et al. “Health Assessment of Free-Ranging Three-Banded (Tolypeutes Matacus) and Nine-Banded (Dasypus Novemcinctus) Armadillos in the Gran Chaco, Bolivia.” Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, vol. 40, no. 2, American Association of Zoo Veterinarians, 2009, pp. 245–56, https://doi.org/10.1638/2007-0120.1.

External links

Video
of a three-banded armadillo rolling itself into a ball Myrmecophagous mammals Armadillos Mammal genera Taxa named by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger {{mammal-stub