Nothing is known about the mating system of pink fairy armadillos. Like most armadillos they have simple teeth that are homodont and their teeth also have no enamel. The pink fairy armadillo has a tooth formula of 0/0 0/0 4/4 3/3 = 14 x 2 = 28. They have 24 bands on their armored shell which is light pinkish in color and there is an extra vertical plate at the end of the armor that gives the carapace its blunt end. Their fur is described as yellowish white in color and long. Since their body temperatures and basal metabolic rates are low, they have fur under their armor to keep them warm. Their low metabolic rate is 40 to 60 percent less than what is predicted for a mammal of their body mass, and this low rate is expected to help keep their body temperature lower in their burrows. Armadillos, in general, have low body temperatures as a result of their low basal metabolic rates and they have high thermal conductance. They also have large plates that protect the back of their head, they do not have visible ears, and the end of their tail is flat and diamond-shaped. Like other armadillos they have a carapace, but their carapace is only attached dorsally by a thin membrane down the midline. As with other fossorial species, the pink fairy armadillo has digging claws on its front legs, reduced eye size, and a fusiform body shape. As an adult,they have a body length of approximately 13cm and an average body mass of 120g.
Pink fairy armadillos are the smallest extant armadillo. The pink fairy armadillo can live anywhere from sea level to 1500m in elevation. Pink fairy armadillos also prefer areas with some shrubbery. They are a fossorial species that lives primarily in loose sandy dunes, and this preference restricts their areas of habitation. Pink fairy armadillos are found in dry grasslands and sand filled plains. It is thought that the range of the pink fairy armadillos is restricted and their population numbers are low due to adverse effects seen with climatic changes in the past. Their geographic range is found in the Neotropical region. They are mainly found in the provinces of Mendoza, San Luis, Buenos Aires, La Pampa and San Juan. The geographic range of pink fairy armadillos is limited to the east by high amounts of rainfall which would flood their burrows. The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium will continue to support communication, education, and capacity building efforts as the research and protective efforts continue.Pink fairy armadillos are endemic to the deserts and scrub lands of central Argentina. Moving forward, the organization will continue to collect long term data in Brazil and will focus on conserving armadillos as well as their habitat by providing state authorities with a detailed distribution map of the last remaining populations of giant armadillos. Thanks to the Giant Armadillo Conservation Project’s outreach and communication efforts, giant armadillos were selected as an indicator species for mapping priority areas for habitat conservation. Since its inception in 2010, the organization has expanded to the heavily impacted Cerrado biome, a biodiversity hotspot recently targeted by the government for the creation of protected areas. In an effort to collect and share information about this critical species, the Giant Armadillo Conservation Project (GACP) based in Brazil has been successfully working to conduct groundbreaking research and raise conservation awareness. Unfortunately, very little information is currently known about their species. The Giant Armadillo is a rare, highly endangered species.
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