Оң белдеулі армадил: Сипаттамасы мен таралуы

Species of mammals belonging to the armadillo order of xenarthrans

The six banded armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus), also known as the yellow armadillo, is an armadillo found in South America. The sole extant member of its genus, it was first described by Swedish zoologist Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The six banded armadillo is typically between in head and body length, and weighs The carapace (hard shell on the back) is pale yellow to reddish brown, marked by scales of equal length, and scantily covered by buff to white bristle like hairs. The forefeet have five distinct toes, each with moderately developed claws. Six banded armadillos are efficient diggers and form burrows to live in and search for prey. The armadillo is alert and primarily solitary. An omnivore, it feeds on insects, ants, carrion, and plant material. Due to their poor eyesight, armadillos rely on their sense of smell to detect prey and predators. Births take place throughout the year; gestation is 60 to 64 days long, after which a litter of one to three is born. Weaning occurs at one month, and juveniles mature by nine months. The six banded armadillo inhabits savannas, primary and secondary forests, cerrados, shrublands, and deciduous forests. Fairly common, its range spans from Brazil and southern Suriname in the northeast through Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay into northern Argentina in the southeast. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) classifies it as least concern, and there are no major threats to its survival.

The six banded armadillo is the sole member of the genus Euphractus and is placed in the family Chlamyphoridae. The genera Chaetophractus (hairy armadillos) and Zaedyus (pichi) have at times been included in Euphractus, though karyotypical, immunological and morphological analyses oppose this. Fossil Euphractus excavated in Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais (Brazil), Buenos Aires (Argentina), and Tarija (Bolivia) date back to the Pleistocene. However, a mitochondrial DNA investigation has concluded that Chlamyphorinae (fairy armadillos) is the sister group of Tolypeutinae (giant, three banded and naked tailed armadillos), with Euphractinae (hairy, six banded and pichi armadillos) having diverged earlier. The six banded armadillo differs from others in the subfamily Euphractinae, which also contains the pichi and hairy armadillos, in having a narrow head and six to seven movable bands on the carapace (the hard shell on the back). Other names for this armadillo are tatu peludo and tatu peba (in Portuguese), and 'yellow armadillo'. Like the other euphractines and the pink fairy armadillo, the six banded armadillo has a tympanic bulla; the ears are long. There are 9 pairs of teeth on the upper jaw and 10 pairs on the lower jaw; the teeth are large and strong and are assisted by strong muscles for chewing. A row of scutes, each wide, extends along the back of the neck. The tail, long, is covered by two to four bands of plates on the underside. Some of these plates have holes for scent gland secretions, a feature seen in no other armadillo except a few big hairy armadillos.

Different studies have recorded different activity patterns for the six banded armadillo – some consider it to be diurnal (active mainly during the day), It is an alert animal; unlike other armadillos, it flees on sensing danger and bites if handled. These burrows can go deep into the ground and help in foraging. Generally, burrows become wide enough to allow the armadillo to turn around as the depth increases. Unlike the moles, that throw the soil to a side while digging, the six banded armadillo digs with its forefeet and throws the soil behind with its hindfeet. Armadillos defecate outside their burrows. In a study in a Brazilian ranch, plant material was found to predominate in the diet. Captive individuals have been observed preying upon large rats.

Breeding behaviour has been observed in captivity. Births take place throughout the year. After a gestational period of 60 to 64 days, a litter of one to three is born. Each newborn weighs , and has a hairless and soft carapace; it can give out soft clicks. The pregnant female builds a nest before giving birth; if disturbed, the mother can react aggressively and shift her offspring. The eyes, closed at birth, open at 22 to 25 days. Weaning occurs at one month and the juveniles mature by nine months. One of the armadillos lived for nearly 18 years.

The six banded armadillo inhabits savannas, primary and secondary forests, cerrados, shrublands and deciduous forests. It can adapt to a variety of habitats; it can even occur on agricultural lands and has been recorded at above the sea level. A study in southeastern Brazil estimated the population density at 0.14 individuals per hectare. The same study showed that the six banded armadillo often displaces and is displaced by the sympatric southern naked tail armadillo; this was considered to be helpful in their coexistence. The six banded armadillo has a wide distribution in South America, from Brazil and southern Suriname in the northeast through Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay into northern Argentina in the southeast. Its presence in Peru is doubted. though their meat is believed to have an unpalatable taste; in some areas in its range, people detest its meat due to the belief that the animal feeds on "rotting human corpses". A 2011 study compared the six and nine banded armadillos in Paraíba (Brazil); nine banded armadillo meat tasted better according to the majority of the locals. Consumption of six banded armadillo meat was not considered safe by the locals for people with certain health problems, such as injuries and hepatitis, a taboo that had stemmed probably from concerns over the armadillo's diet. Six banded armadillos often raid cropfields to feed on tender plants; farmers are known to use traps aided by corn baits for these animals to curb the menace.