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Giant armadillo

File:Priodontes_maximus_at_Régina.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Giant armadillo

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Also known as Priodontes giganteus

species of mammal

Species

Vulnerable

via IUCN

~7 min read

Encyclopedic overview

The giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus), colloquially tatu-canastra, tatou, ocarro or tatú carreta, is the largest living species of armadillo (although their extinct relatives the glyptodonts were much larger). It lives in South America, ranging throughout as far south as northern Argentina. This species is considered vulnerable to extinction.

The giant armadillo prefers termites and some ants as prey, and often consumes the entire population of a termite mound. It also has been known to prey upon worms, larvae and larger creatures, such as spiders and snakes, and plants. Some giant armadillos have been reported to have eaten bees by digging into beehives.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Giant armadillo” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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