Dasypus hybridus Desmarest 1804
Creators: name: Russell A. Mittermeier
name: Don E. Wilson
Publisher: name: Lynx Edicions
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Mammalia
Cingulata
Dasypodidae
Dasypus
Dasypus hybridus

description: 7.
Southern Long-nosed Armadillo
Dasypus hybridus
French: Tatou mulet / German: Sidliches Siebenbinden-Glrteltier / Spanish: Mulita pampeana
Other common names: Southern Lesser Long-nosed Armadillo
Taxonomy. Loricatus hybridus Desmarest, 1804,
type locality not given. Restricted by A. Cabrera in 1958 to San Ignacio, Misiones, Paraguay. This species is monotypic.
Distribution. SE Paraguay, N, NE & EC Argentina, S Brazil (Parana, Santa Catarina, and Rio Grande do Sul states), and Uruguay.
Descriptive notes. Head-body 260-310 mm,tail 150-190 mm, ear 20-27 mm,
hindfoot 62-70 mm; weight 2 kg. The Southern Long-nosed Armadillo is intermediate in size among dasypodid armadillos. Number of movable bands on carapace is usually 6-7, sometimes eight. Head is slender, ears are long but shorter than on other species of Dasypus, and tail is ¢.67-70% of head-body length. Chromosomal complement is °n =64, FN = 76 or 78.
Habitat. Grasslands with humic soils from sea level to elevations of 2300 m. Grasslands that have been minimally disturbed and have high vegetative cover seem
to be preferred by the Southern Long-nosed Armadillo. It also can be found in pasturelands, such as those used for cattle ranching, but seems to avoid other types of agricultural lands (e.g. crop fields). Distribution of the Southern Long-nosed Armadillo is probably limited by amount of precipitation during the driest part of the year.
Food and Feeding. The Southern Long-nosed Armadillo is an opportunistic insectivore, although some have advocated considering it an omnivore with a strong tendency to myrmecophagy. Regardless, stomach contents have contained large numbers of ants, termites, and beetles, along with considerable amounts of plant material. Rarely, traces of various vertebrates, such as young mice and some amphibians and reptiles, have been recorded.
Breeding. Breeding of the Southern Long-nosed Armadillo is thought to begin in March; young are born from October to the beginning of December. Litter size is the largest of any dasypodid armadillo, with 6—12 young. Juveniles are born in underground burrows and remain there until weaned at c.2 months old.
Activity patterns. The Southern Long-nosed Armadillo is diurnal, with peak activity in early afternoon. Like most armadillos, it does not hibernate and is active year-round, although activity can be reduced during cold weather.
Movements, Home range and Social organization. Adult Southern Long-nosed Armadillos are solitary and only observed as pairs during breeding. Features of home ranges, movements, and social organization are probably similar to those reported for the Nine-banded Armadillo (D. novemcinctus), but future field studies will be needed to confirm this.
Status and Conservation. Classified as Near Threatened on The IUCN Red List. In Argentina, the Southern Long-nosed Armadillo is also classified as near threatened. Primarily due to habitat loss and hunting by humans, populations in Argentina are estimated to have declined by 20-25% during the last decade orso.
Bibliography. Abba & Cassini (2010), Abba & Superina (2016), Abba, Cassini & Galliari (2011), Abba, Tognelli et al. (2012), Abba, Vizcaino & Cassini (2007), Barlow (1965), Cabrera (1958), Cuba (1979), Ferrari et al. (1997), Redford (1985a), Superina et al. (2012), Wetzel (1985b), Wetzel & Mondolfi (1979).
description: Published as part of Russell A. Mittermeier & Don E. Wilson, 2018, Dasypodidae, pp. 30-47 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 8 Insectivores, Sloths and Colugos, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on pages 46-47, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6631721