Welcome to brain Stuff, a production of iHeartRadio. Hey brain Stuff, Lauren Vogelba I'm here picture a small mammal with fluffy white fur, giant four paws made for digging, a short pointed snout, and a shell of leathery pink armor that runs in twenty four bands from the tip of its nose down its back to its flattened behind. No, it's not a creature from a Dungeons and Dragon's manual or Narnia or Red Wall pick your nerd reference. This animal is as real as you and me, and it's called
the pink fairy armadillo. Pink fairy armadillos are the smallest of the twenty some species of armadillos in the world, measuring from four to six inches in length that's just ten to fifteen centimeters and weighing up to a quarter of a pound about one hundred grams. And although it's
not mythical, it's proven pretty difficult to study. Pink fairy armadillos live out most of their lives underground, and their nocturnal making sightings in the wild so few and far between that very little is actually known about these mysterious
little critters. Anecdotal evidence shows that people in their eighties who have lived their entire lives near the pink fairries only known habitat, may have only seen one once or twice, if ever, in their lives, and one researcher who worked for more than a dozen years and its habitat never laid eyes on one at all. The first description and illustration of this mystifying mammal was created in eighteen twenty five by the American naturalist Richard Harlan, who worked in
the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. He coined the name pink fairy armadillo and gave it its species name Calamiferous truncatus, truncatus, meaning sawed off, the perfect descriptor for r we beaste, whose truncated tail and butt plate help with balance and keep its subtranean tunnels from collapsing around it. Those tunnels and its ability to dig them quickly are critical for its survival, both allowing it to escape from
predators and in the hot sun. It's found only in Central Argentina, in the arid desert of the Mendoza Province, a large area of sun scorched scrubland that extends from the foothills of the Andes to coastal Buenos Aires. Outside of these dunes, sandy plains, and grasslands, this burrowing armadillo
does not fare well. It's likely a generalist insectivore that eats mainly things like beetles, ants, insect eggs and larvae, plus worms, snails, and plant materials such as leaves and This tiny species shows no noticeable sign of sexual dimorphism, meaning the males and females present the same physical appearance, and we don't know much about its reproductive habits. It may give birth to one or two offspring in spring
or early summer every year. The animal's armored shell and its paws and tail are in shades of beautiful baby pink to pastel salmon, contrasting with its silky white fur and tiny black eyes. It cannot roll into a ball. However, only two species of armadillos can do that, and how they do is a question for another episode. The pink fairy armadillo emerges from its underground layer only occasionally, usually after a rare desert rain that drives it above ground.
So little is known about it that there's no information available about its home range or population size and density. Some researchers estimate that there are perhaps only about one hundred still in existence, and that's pretty much all that's known about these creatures. They're so evasive that scientists don't even know if they are more common or as rare
as we think they are. The pink fairy armadillo was originally listed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature as a near threatened species, but is now listed as data deficient. However, we do know that its habitat is currently threatened by encroaching civilization, including the building of roadways and the ranching of cattle and goats that changes their native environment in places where humans are moving in. Domestic cats and dogs may threaten the species. They're also sought
after and sold on the black market as pets. Note that as adorable as it is, this is a threatened species that cannot survive as a pet. Removing a pink fairy armadillo from its natural habitat will prove fatal to this wondrous little animal, usually within about a week. If you've never seen one before, do look up pictures and video,
but it's best to appreciate these fellows from Afar. Today's episode is based on the article the pink Fairy Armadillo is as mystifying as its name on howstufforks dot com, written by Kerry Tatro. Brainstuff is production of iHeartRadio in partnership with HowStuffWorks dot Com and as produced by Tyler Klang. Four more podcasts from my heart Radio. Visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Yes