“…and today we’re talking about an armadillo that’s having wicked dreams of leaving Tennessee. But more on that later.”
A rose-hued sprite is found on the Argentine plains. This fae surfs the rippling waves of xeric sands, past the islands of desert scrub. A pointed nose cuts a channel through the substrate, while paddle claws turn soil into wake. The pink fairy armadillo is no trickster or magician–just a well-equipped creature for the subterranean arid Life, Death, and Taxonomy.
Description of the Pink-Fairy Armadillo
- Looks like more than just a normal armadillo you found that hit the 1 in 4096 shiny version in Pokemon
- Looks like an armadillo crossed with a shrimp crossed with a mole with chicken feet.
- Pale pink armor plates, like it’s wearing a blush-toned breastplate
- Silky white fur on the underbelly, soft as a cloud
- Small, beady eyes
- Pointy snout for sniffing out snacks
- Stubby legs with oversized claws, perfect for its underground lifestyle
- Smaller than most armadillos, about the size of a large hamster
Measure Up
Welcome to the beloved Measure Up segment. The official listener’s favorite part of the show! The part of the show when we present the animal’s size and dimension in relatable terms through a quiz that’s fun for the whole family. It’s also the part of the show that’s introduced by you when you send in audio of yourself saying, singing, or chittering the words Measure Up into ldtaxonomy at gmail dot com.
Length of the Pink Fairy Armadillo
The Pink Fairy Armadillo has a total length of 6 inches (15 cm). How many armadillos, laid end to end, fit into the length of these Argentine objects?
Question: How many Pink Fairy Armadillos fit into the following things?
A) 1 goes into the height of a mate gourd
B) 3 go into the length of a Patagonian mara
C) 10 go into the width of a gaucho’s boleadoras
a) The height of a mate gourd
A traditional Argentine mate gourd, used for drinking yerba mate, typically stands about 4.7 inches (12 cm) tall for a standard size, though some are larger. Using a larger ceremonial gourd at 18 cm (7.1 inches):
b) The length of a Patagonian mara
The Patagonian mara (Dolichotis patagonum), a large rodent native to Argentina’s Patagonian steppes, has a body length of about 27.6 inches (70 cm), excluding its short tail.
c) The width of a gaucho’s boleadoras
Boleadoras, a traditional throwing weapon used by Argentine gauchos, consist of weights on cords. When laid out, the span of a three-ball boleadora (from one weight to another) is about 47.2 inches (120 cm) for hunting use.
Weight of the Pink Fairy Armadillo
The Pink Fairy Armadillo weighs approximately 150 grams (0.15 kg or 0.33 pounds). How many armadillos fit into the weight of these Argentine objects?
Question: How many Pink Fairy Armadillos fit into the following things?
A) 4 go into the weight of an Argentine asado steak
B) 140 go into the weight of a Malbec wine barrel
C) 4 go into the weight of a rhea egg
a) The weight of an Argentine asado steak
An Argentine asado often features large cuts of beef, like a bife de chorizo. A single serving can weigh about 500 grams (0.5 kg).
b) The weight of a Malbec wine barrel
A traditional Argentine oak barrel used for aging Malbec wine in Mendoza typically holds 225 liters and weighs about 45 kg (45,000 grams) when empty, including the wood and metal hoops.
c) The weight of a rhea egg
The greater rhea (Rhea americana), a flightless bird from Argentina’s pampas, lays eggs weighing about 600 grams (0.6 kg) each.
Fast Facts about the Pink-Fairy Armadillo
- Range: Central-western Argentina, think dry grasslands and sandy plains.
- Habitat: Lives in sandy, arid areas with loose soil, perfect for its digging obsession.
- Diet: Munchies on ants, worms, snails, and plant roots, basically an underground buffet.
- Mating Behavior: Solitary most of the time, but pairs up briefly for mating; little is known because they’re sneaky.
- Lifespan: Lives around 5-10 years in the wild, if it avoids becoming a snack.
- Social Behavior: Lone wolf vibes, prefers its own company in cozy burrows.
- Sounds: Mostly silent, but might squeak or grunt if annoyed.
- Predators: Owls, hawks, and snakes think it’s a cute little morsel.
- Fun Fact: Its armor isn’t just for show—it helps regulate body temperature in the desert heat.
Major Fact: Soil Swimmer
Unlike other armadillos with rigid, tightly fused bony plates, the pink fairy armadillo’s dorsal armor is composed of thin, flexible osteoderms (bony plates) covered by a layer of silky, translucent skin. This creates a “double-layered” design that allows the armor to move independently of the body, facilitating fluid movement through loose, sandy soil.
The outer skin is loosely attached to the underlying tissue, reducing friction as the armadillo “swims” through sand, much like a seal moves through water. This minimizes energy expenditure during burrowing.
Ventral Flexibility:
The underside lacks bony plates, covered instead by soft, hairier skin. This flexibility allows the armadillo to compress or expand its body while squeezing through narrow tunnels or turning in tight spaces.
The ventral skin’s elasticity also protects internal organs during rapid digging, absorbing pressure from surrounding soil.
Burrowing Adaptations
Its front limbs are equipped with large, flattened claws (resembling miniature shovels) that are disproportionately strong for its 100–150-gram body. These claws slice through sand with minimal resistance, allowing the armadillo to dig tunnels at remarkable speed—capable of burying itself in seconds when threatened. The forelimbs work in a breaststroke-like motion, pushing soil aside and propelling the armadillo forward, while the hind limbs stabilize and compact loose dirt behind it.
Streamlined Body
The armadillo’s torpedo-shaped body, narrow head, and smooth armor reduce drag during burrowing. Its small size (3.5–6 inches long) lets it navigate tight spaces, creating tunnels just wide enough for its body (typically 2–3 inches in diameter). The blunt snout acts like a plow, loosening soil as it moves, while the flexible armor prevents sand from jamming against the body.
“Sand-Swimming” Technique:
The loose attachment of its armor and skin allows the armadillo to undulate its body, mimicking a swimming motion. This enables it to move through uncompacted sand without collapsing tunnels, a critical advantage in unstable desert soils.
Tunnel Maintenance
The armadillo seals tunnel entrances with loose soil to conceal its location from predators like dogs or hawks. Its hind limbs and flattened tail tamp down dirt, creating a smooth barrier that blends with the surface. It constructs temporary foraging tunnels (shallow, ~1–2 inches deep) and deeper, permanent burrows (up to 1–2 feet) for resting, with chambers insulated by compacted sand to maintain stable temperatures.
Ending: So hermit up, armor up, and burrow down feverishly in the sand like the pink fairy armadillo here in LDT.