ZCOG has supported this long-term research and conservation initiative through grant writing, fundraising, and serving as the program's North American financial management and logistical agency. The team established the first long-term ecological study of giant armadillos in the Brazilian Pantanal and Cerrado, and have promoted the conservation of this little-known species through education, outreach activities, and media campaigns. Leading the effort to learn more about this elusive species in Brazil has been Arnaud Desbiez and his Giant Armadillo Conservation Project (GACP) field team. The Giant Armadillo (Priodontes maximus), is a poorly known endangered species widely distributed in various South American habitats. Diet: Consists almost entirely of animal origin- ants. An armadillo’s shell is made up of bony plates covered by thick, hard skin. But it’s different from a seashell or a tortoise shell. Armadillos are the only mammals covered by a shell. While habitat destruction, poisoning, and hunting pose major threats to remaining populations, much about this species remains unknown. Habitat: Generally prefer forests of mature shortleaf pine, oak, and hickory. Three-banded armadillos can be found in eastern Bolivia, southwestern Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. There are 20 species of armadillos, but only the Nine-banded Armadillo lives in the southeast US. Giant armadillos are listed as ‘Vulnerable to Extinction’ by the IUCN, are rare throughout their range, and have experienced local extinctions in Uruguay and elsewhere. Where armadillos live is dependent on soil type, they prefer sandy or loam soils which are loose and porous, making it easier to dig for food and make burrows. Armadillos are classified in the same order as anteaters and sloths, and are the only mammals that have a shell, which are hardened skin plates covering their bodies that give them an armored appearance. The Giant Armadillo ( Priodontes maximus), is a poorly known endangered species widely distributed in various South American habitats.
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