The giant armadillo, whose scientific name is Periodontes Maximus, is a cingulate mammal, that is, it belongs to a very ancient group of mammals, so much so that it is estimated that it has inhabited the earth for approximately 65 million years.
This animal is the largest armadillo, as it can reach an approximate weight of 60 kilos and a length of 1.6 meters, and it is native to the American continent.
If you want to discover more about this ancient mammal, in this article on our site we tell you where the giant armadillo lives.
Giant Armadillo Distribution
The giant armadillo inhabits the tropical forests of eastern South America and ranges approximately from Venezuela to northern Argentina.
In this large area of land, the giant armadillo can live in very varied habitats, as we will see below.
Giant Armadillo Habitat
The giant armadillo occupies a vast territory in South America and can adapt to a wide variety of habitats, therefore, We find it in tropical forests, savannahs, plains of flood and forests.
Adapts to many terrains and environments, in fact, it has been observed that some giant armadillos even live at an altitude of 500 meters above sea level.
Regardless of their surrounding habitat, all giant armadillos live in self-constructed burrows.
The giant armadillo, an endangered species
The giant armadillo has inhabited the earth since ancient times. Unfortunately, we are about to lose this species and, therefore, to impoverish the great biodiversity of our planet.
This historical mammal is considered an endangered species since 2002, it is included in the lists of the World Union of Conservation as well as the Convention on International Traffic in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.
The main reasons for the risk of extinction are the deforestation of their natural habitat and their hunting and illegal catch for later sale to collectors.
The Formosa National Reserve, located in Argentina, was created mainly with the aim of protecting this species, something that will be very difficult to achieve if we do not create sufficient awareness about the need to safeguard its survival of the giant armadillo.
Unfortunately, the giant armadillo is not the only species in danger of extinction, and it is that the ambition of the human being and the aforementioned lack of awareness are causing mammals such as the gorilla and birds such as the eagle imperial are also on the brink of extinction.
