VULNERABLE
GIANT ARMADILLO
Like chinchillas , giant armadillo are nocturnal , burrowing mammal ; but they are much larger , growing up to 80 kilograms ( 180 pounds ) on occasion , and up to one metre long ( 39 inches ). The largest of the armadillo family (‘ armadillo ’ is Spanish for ‘ little armoured one ’), these intriguing animals share love for termites with Sri Lanka ’ s sloth bear . Their claws are the largest proportionally of any known animal , and like the sloth bear , the giant armadillo uses their claws to capture termites ( but they also eat spiders , worms , larvae , snakes and carrion ). Their more recognizable feature , however , is their dinosaur-like external armour , an assemblage of heavy , bony ‘ scutes ’ that cover the upper surface of their bodies and heads . Almost hairless , their only hair is found between their scutes . Giant armadillos build their deep burrows in Argentina ’ s northernmost provinces , east of the Andes . Their preferred habitat is brushlands , grasslands , woodlands , and forests , always close to water .
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