Six-banded armadillo

Euphractus sexcinctus

NZ Various 07 20 AD ONB LR 29
IUCN Conservation Status –
Least Concern
Extinct In The Wild
Class: Mammals
Order: Cingulata
Family: Dasypodidae

We are home to a breeding pair of armadillos – Wallace and Gromit, who are both 5 years old, and their offspring Lula who was born in February 2020.

South America is the native home of the six-banded armadillo. Here they can be found throughout Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Suriname and Uruguay. They can be found in different habitats, ranging from grassland to rainforest, but they are mainly found on open plains.

The six-banded armadillo is an omnivore. The majority of their diet is made up of plants such as fruit, leaves and roots. They will also eat insects and small invertebrates.

Interesting facts!

  •  Six-banded armadillos have very poor eyesight, relying on their keen sense of smell to detect prey and predators.
  • Unlike most armadillos, the six-banded armadillo is mostly diurnal so they are active during the day.
  • Armadillo armour is made from overlapping plates of bone covered in scales of keratin. Unlike other species of armadillo, the six-banded armadillo can’t roll into a ball, so they avoid their predators by fleeing into a nearby burrow.

Conservation

Unfortunately the six-banded armadillo is persecuted in the wild, due to their reputation as a crop pest. They are also hunted locally for their meat and for their armoured shell.