View source for Six-banded armadillo

{{Short description|Species of mammals belonging to the armadillo order of xenarthrans}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Six-banded armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus).JPG
| image_caption = In the [[Pantanal]], Brazil
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Abba, A.M. |author2=Lima, E. |author3=Superina, M. |date=2014 |title=''Euphractus sexcinctus'' |volume=2014 |page=e.T8306A47441708 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2014-1.RLTS.T8306A47441708.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| display_parents = 2
| genus = Euphractus
| parent_authority = [[Johann Georg Wagler|Wagler]], 1830
| species = sexcinctus
| authority = ([[Carl Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], [[10th edition of Systema Naturae|1758]])
| synonyms = {{collapsible list
|''Dasypus encoubert'' <small>Desmarest,&nbsp;1822</small>
|''Dasypus flavipes'' <small>G. Fischer,&nbsp;1814</small>
|''Dasypus sexcinctus'' <small>Linnaeus,&nbsp;1758</small>
|''Loricatus flavimanus'' <small>Desmarest,&nbsp;1804</small>
|''Scleropleura bruneti'' <small>Milne-Edwards,&nbsp;1872</small>
|''Tatus sexcinctus'' <small>Schinz,&nbsp;1824</small>
|''Euphractus hexcinctus''
}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name="redford">{{cite journal | last1 = Redford | first1 = K.H. | last2 = Wetzel | first2 = R.M. | title = ''Euphractus sexcinctus'' | journal = [[Mammalian Species]] | date = 1985 | issue = 252 | pages = 1–4 | doi = 10.2307/3503786 | jstor = 3503786 | s2cid = 253956545 | url = http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-252-01-0001.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160701065852/http://www.science.smith.edu/msi/pdf/i0076-3519-252-01-0001.pdf | archive-date = 1 July 2016}}</ref><ref name=MSW3>{{MSW3 Cingulata | id = 11700032 | page = 97}}</ref><ref name="gardner">{{cite book | last1 = Gardner | first1 = A.L. | title = Mammals of South America | volume = 1 | date = 2007 | publisher = University of Chicago Press | location = Chicago, US | isbn = 978-0-226-28242-8 | pages = 144–6 | url = {{Google Books | id = dbU3d7EUCm8C | page = 144 | plainurl = yes}}}}</ref>
| range_map = Six-banded Armadillo area.png
| range_map_caption = Range of the six-banded armadillo
}}

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 [[Species description|described]] by Swedish zoologist [[Carl Linnaeus]] in 1758. The six-banded armadillo is typically between {{convert|40|and|50|cm|in|sp=us}} in head-and-body length, and weighs {{convert|3.2|to|6.5|kg|lb|sp=us}}. 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 [[savanna]]s, [[primary forest|primary]] and [[secondary forest|secondary]] forests, ''[[cerrado]]''s, shrublands, and [[deciduous forest]]s. 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.

== Taxonomy and etymology ==
[[File:SixBandArmadilloLyd.jpg|thumb|left|Drawing of the six-banded armadillo]]
The six-banded armadillo is the sole member of the genus ''Euphractus'' and is placed in the family [[Chlamyphoridae]].<ref name=MSW3/> It was first [[Species description|described]] by Swedish zoologist [[Carl Linnaeus]] as ''Dasypus sexcinctus'' in 1758.<ref name=linny>{{citation |last=Linnaeus |first=Carl |authorlink=Carl Linnaeus |title=Systema Naturae, ''10th ed., Vol. I'' |date=1758 |page=[https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/10277#page/61/mode/1up 51] }}. {{in lang|la}}</ref> The genera ''[[Chaetophractus]]'' (hairy armadillos) and ''[[Zaedyus]]'' (pichi) have at times been included in ''Euphractus'', though karyotypical,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Jorge|first1=W.|last2=Meritt Jr|first2=D.A.|last3=Benirschke|first3=K.|title=Chromosome studies in Edentata|journal=Cytobios|date=1978|volume=18|issue=71–2|pages=157–72|pmid=679723}}</ref> immunological<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Roíg|first1=V.G.|title=Inmunotest y relaciones sistematicas en dasipodidos argentinos|journal=Cienc. Invest.|date=1964|volume=20|pages=270–5|language=Spanish}}</ref> and morphological<ref>{{cite book|last1=Wetzel|first1=R.M.|editor1-last=Montgomery|editor1-first=G.G.|title=The Evolution and Ecology of Armadillos, Sloths, and Vermilinguas|date=1985|publisher=Smithsonian Institution Press|location=Washington D.C., US|isbn=978-0-87474-649-5|pages=23–48|chapter=The taxonomy and distribution of armadillos Dasypodidae}}</ref> analyses oppose this. Fossil ''Euphractus'' excavated in [[Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais]] (Brazil), [[Buenos Aires]] (Argentina),  and [[Tarija]] (Bolivia) date back to the [[Pleistocene]].<ref name=redford/>

The following five [[subspecies]] are recognized:<ref name=redford/><ref name=gardner/>
{{Div col}}
*''E. s. boliviae'' <small>[[Oldfield Thomas|Thomas]], 1907</small>: Occurs in [[Gran Chaco]] (Brazil).
*''E. s. flavimanus'' <small>[[Anselme Gaëtan Desmarest|Desmarest]], 1804</small>: Occurs in [[Mato Grosso]] (Brazil), eastern Paraguay, Uruguay and northeastern Argentina.
*''E. s. setosus'' <small>[[Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied|Wied]], 1826</small>: Occurs in extreme southeastern Brazil.
*''E. s. sexcinctus'' <small>Linnaeus, 1758</small>: Occurs in southeastern Brazil.
*''E. s. tucumanus'' <small>Thomas, 1911</small>: Occurs in [[Catamarca Province|Catamarca]] and [[Tucumán Province|Tucumán]] Provinces (Argentina).
{{div col end}}

[[File:Pantanal - Tatu.webm|thumb|Six-banded armadillo]]
A 2006 morphological study of the [[phylogeny]] of [[armadillo]]s showed that ''Chaetophractus'', ''[[Chlamyphorus]]'', ''Euphractus'' and ''Zaedyus'' form a [[monophyletic]] [[clade]]. The [[cladogram]] below (based only on the extant species) is based on this study.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Gaudin|first1=T.J.|last2=Wible|first2=J.R.|editor1-last=Carrano|editor1-first=M.T.|title=Amniote Paleobiology: Perspectives on the Evolution of Mammals, Birds, and Reptiles|date=2006|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago, US|isbn=978-0-226-09478-6|pages=153–98|url={{Google Books|id=4uNMCqSRQ9gC|page=153|plainurl=yes}}|chapter=The phylogeny of living and extinct armadillos (Mammalia, Xenarthra, Cingulata): a craniodental analysis}}</ref>

{{clade | style=font-size:100%;line-height:100%;
|1={{clade
   |1=''[[Chlamyphorus]]''
   |2={{clade
      |1=''[[Zaedyus]]''
      |2={{clade
         |1=''Euphractus''
         |2=''[[Chaetophractus]]''
         }}
      }}
   }}
}}

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.<ref name="Gibb2015">{{cite journal|last1=Gibb|first1=G. C.|last2=Condamine|first2=F. L.|last3=Kuch|first3= M.|last4=Enk|first4=J.|last5=Moraes-Barros|first5=N.|last6=Superina|first6= M.|last7=Poinar|first7=H. N.|last8=Delsuc|first8= F.|title=Shotgun Mitogenomics Provides a Reference Phylogenetic Framework and Timescale for Living Xenarthrans|journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution|volume=33|issue=3|date=9 November 2015|pages=621–642|doi=10.1093/molbev/msv250|issn=1537-1719|pmid=26556496|pmc=4760074}}</ref>

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 ''{{lang|pt|tatu peludo}}'' and ''{{lang|pt|tatu peba}}'' (in Portuguese), and 'yellow armadillo'.<ref name=redford/><ref name=nowak/>

== Description ==
[[File:NL-HlmNHA 53004652 02 Zesbandgordeldier.tif|thumb|upright=1.2|Six-banded armadillo painted by [[Frans Post]], 1637-1644]]
[[File:Euphractus sexcinctus 05 MWNH 910.JPG|thumb|Skull of a six-banded armadillo]]
The six-banded armadillo is the largest in Euphractinae, which also contains the pichi and hairy armadillos; in fact, it is the third largest armadillo after the [[giant armadillo]] and the [[greater long-nosed armadillo]].<ref name=redford/> This armadillo is typically between {{convert|40|and|50|cm|in|sp=us}} in head-and-body length, and weighs {{convert|3.2|to|6.5|kg|lb|sp=us}}. The carapace is pale yellow to reddish brown (though not a dark shade of brown or black), marked by scales of equal length, and scantily covered by buff to white bristle-like hairs – unlike the hairy armadillos, that are covered by dense hairs. The shell narrows to 70 to 80 percent of its original width towards the top of the head, which is covered by plates arranged in a definite pattern. The forefeet have five distinct toes, each with moderately developed claws, of which the third is the longest.<ref name=redford/><ref name=nowak/><ref name="Husson">{{cite book|last1=Husson|first1=A.M.|title=The Mammals of Suriname|date=1978|publisher=Brill|location=Leiden, Netherlands|isbn=978-90-04-05819-4|pages=254–7|url={{Google Books|id=1s8UAAAAIAAJ|page=254|plainurl=yes}}}}</ref>

Like the other euphractines and the [[pink fairy armadillo]], the six-banded armadillo has a [[tympanic bulla]]; the ears are {{convert|32|to|47|mm|in|sp=us}} 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 [[scute]]s, each {{convert|13.5|–|18.4|mm|in|sp=us}} wide, extends along the back of the neck. The tail, {{convert|12|–|24|cm|in|sp=us}} 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 armadillo]]s.<ref name=redford/><ref name="nowak">{{cite book|last1=Nowak|first1=R.M.|title=Walker's Mammals of the World|volume=1|date=1999|publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press|location=Baltimore, US|isbn=978-0-8018-5789-8|page=160|edition=6th|url={{Google Books|id=T37sFCl43E8C||plainurl=yes}}}}</ref>

== Ecology and behavior ==
[[File:Euphractus sexcinctus2.jpg|thumb|right|Close view of a six-banded armadillo]]
Different studies have recorded different activity patterns for the six-banded armadillo – some consider it to be [[diurnality|diurnal]] (active mainly during the day),<ref name=redford/> while others show it is [[nocturnality|nocturnal]] (active mainly at night).<ref name="bonato">{{cite journal|last1=Bonato|first1=V.|last2=Martins|first2=E.G.|last3=Machado|first3=G.|last4=da-Silva|first4=C.Q.|last5=dos Reis|first5=S.F.|title=Ecology of the armadillos ''Cabassous unicinctus'' and ''Euphractus sexcinctus'' (Cingulata: Dasypodidae) in a Brazilian Cerrado|journal=Journal of Mammalogy|date=2008|volume=89|issue=1|pages=168–74|doi=10.1644/06-MAMM-A-187.1|doi-access=free}}</ref> It is an alert animal; unlike other armadillos, it flees on sensing danger and bites if handled.<ref name=redford/> Primarily solitary, six-banded armadillos will congregate only to feed on [[carrion]]s.<ref name=nowak/> A 1983 study in eastern Brazil calculated the mean [[home range]] size as {{convert|93.3|ha|sqmi|sp=us}}.<ref name=Carter/> An efficient digger, this armadillo can dig U-shaped burrows with a single opening, typically in dry areas;<ref name=nowak/> the burrows may or may not be permanent shelters.<ref name = Loughry/><ref>{{cite thesis|last1=Medri|first1=I.M.|title=Ecologia e história natural do tatu-peba, ''Euphractus sexcinctus'' (Linnaeus, 1758), no Pantanal da Nhecolândia, Mato Grosso do Sul|type=PhD thesis |publisher=[[University of Brasília]]|date=2008|url=http://repositorio.unb.br/bitstream/10482/1219/1/2008_IsisMeriMedri.pdf|trans-title=Ecology and natural history of the six-banded armadillo ''Euphractus sexcinctus'' (Linnaeus, 1758) in the Pantanal Nhecolândia, Mato Grosso do Sul|language=Portuguese}}</ref> These burrows can go deep into the ground and help in foraging.<ref name=nowak/> A study of burrows dug by the giant, six-banded, [[southern naked-tailed armadillo|southern naked-tailed]] and [[greater naked-tailed armadillo|greater naked-tailed]] armadillos showed that all burrows were similar in the slopes of the burrow and the surrounding soil, and the direction of the entrance; the location preferred for them and time spent in them, however, differed. Burrows could be easily differentiated by their dimensions; burrows of six-banded armadillos had a mean height of {{convert|19|cm|in|sp=us}} and were {{convert|21|cm|in|sp=us}} wide at the opening, and narrowed down to {{convert|10|cm|in|sp=us}} with a height of {{convert|16|cm|in|sp=us}} to {{convert|21|cm|in|sp=us}} into the burrow.<ref name=Carter>{{cite journal|last1=Carter|first1=T.S.|last2=Encarnacao|first2=C.D.|title=Characteristics and use of burrows by four species of armadillos in Brazil|journal=Journal of Mammalogy|date=1983|volume=64|issue=1|pages=103–8|jstor=1380755|issn=1545-1542|doi=10.2307/1380755}}</ref> 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.<ref name=nowak/>

=== Diet ===
The six-banded armadillo is an [[omnivore]] that feeds on carrion, small invertebrates, insects, ants, fruits (typically from [[bromeliad]]s), palm nuts and tubers.<ref name=redford/> A 2004 study classified it as a "carnivore-omnivore".<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Dalponte|first1=J.C.|last2=Tavares-Filho|first2=J.A.|title=Diet of the yellow armadillo, ''Euphractus sexcinctus'', in South-Central Brazil|journal=Edentata|date=2004|volume=6|issue=1|pages=37–41|issn=1413-4411|doi=10.1896/1413-4411.6.1.37|s2cid=86613870|doi-access=free}}</ref> In a study in a Brazilian ranch, plant material was found to predominate in the diet.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Schaller|first1=G.B.|authorlink=George B. Schaller|title=Mammals and their biomass on a Brazilian ranch|journal=Arquivos de Zoologia|date=1983|volume=31|issue=1|pages=1–36|url=http://www.revistas.usp.br/azmz/article/download/11995/13772|issn=0066-7870|doi=10.11606/issn.2176-7793.v31i1p1-36|doi-access=free}}</ref> Captive individuals have been observed preying upon large rats.<ref name=redford/> Due to their poor eyesight, armadillos rely on their sense of smell to detect prey and predators. To kill the prey, the armadillo stands on it, grabs it using its teeth and tears it into pieces.<ref name=redford/> Six-banded armadillos can store subcutaneous fat to support themselves at times when food is scarce; this fat can increase the weight to {{convert|8|to|11|kg|lb|sp=us}}.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=McNab|first1=B.K.|title=Energetics and the limits to a temperate distribution in armadillos|journal=Journal of Mammalogy|date=1980|volume=61|issue=4|pages=606–27|doi=10.2307/1380307|jstor=1380307}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Eisenberg|first1=J.F.|last2=Redford|first2=K.H.|title=The Central Neotropics: Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil|date=1999|publisher=University of Chicago Press|location=Chicago, US|isbn=978-0-226-19542-1|pages=106–7|url={{Google Books|id=p2MDAzCeQQoC|page=106|plainurl=yes}}}}</ref>

=== Reproduction ===
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 {{convert|95|to|110|g|oz|sp=us}}, 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.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Gucwinska|first1=H.|title=Development of six-banded armadillos at Wroclaw Zoo|journal=International Zoo Yearbook|date=1971|volume=11|issue=1|pages=88–9|doi=10.1111/j.1748-1090.1971.tb01861.x}}</ref>

== Habitat and distribution ==
The six-banded armadillo inhabits [[savanna]]s, [[primary forest|primary]] and [[secondary forest|secondary]] forests, ''[[cerrado]]''s, shrublands and [[deciduous forest]]s. It can adapt to a variety of habitats; it can even occur on agricultural lands and has been recorded at {{convert|1600|m|ft|sp=us}} 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.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Bonato|first1=V.|last2=Martins|first2=E.G.|last3=Machado|first3=G.|last4=da-Silva|first4=C.Q.|last5=dos Reis|first5=S.F.|title=Ecology of the armadillos ''Cabassous unicinctus'' and ''Euphractus sexcinctus'' (Cingulata: Dasypodidae) in a Brazilian cerrado|journal=Journal of Mammalogy|date=2008|volume=89|issue=1|pages=168–74|doi=10.1644/06-MAMM-A-187.1|issn=1572-9710|doi-access=free}}</ref> 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.<ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021" />

== Threats and conservation ==
The [[IUCN]] classifies the six-banded armadillo as [[least concern]], due to its wide distribution, good degree of tolerance and presumably large populations. Moreover, it occurs in several protected areas. Though there are no major threats to its survival, six-banded armadillo populations north of the Amazon River might be declining due to few patches of savannas, human settlement and industrial expansion. Moreover, these armadillos are reportedly hunted for medicinal purposes,<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Ferreira|first1=F.S.|last2=Fernandes-Ferreira|first2=H.|last3=Léo Neto|first3=N.A.|last4=Brito|first4=S.V.|last5=Alves|first5=R.R.N.|title=The trade of medicinal animals in Brazil: current status and perspectives|journal=Biodiversity and Conservation|date=2013|volume=22|issue=4|pages=839–70|doi=10.1007/s10531-013-0475-7|bibcode=2013BiCon..22..839F |s2cid=15332408}}</ref> 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".<ref name = Loughry>{{cite book|last1=Loughry|first1=W.J.|last2=McDonough|first2=C.M.|title=The Nine-banded Armadillo: A Natural History|date=2013|publisher=University of Oklahoma Press|location=Oklahoma, US|isbn=978-0-8061-8921-5|pages=29–30|url={{Google Books|id=h4UFvagbbogC|page=29|plainurl=yes}}}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Barboza|first1=R.R.D.|last2=Mourão|first2=J.S.|last3=Souto|first3=W.M.|last4=Alves|first4=R.R.|title=Knowledge and strategies of Armadillo (''Dasypus novemcinctus'' L. 1758 and ''Euphractus sexcinctus'' L. 1758) hunters in the "Sertão Paraibano", Paraíba State, NE Brazil|journal=Bioremediation, Biodiversity and Bioavailability|date=2011|volume=5|issue=1|pages=1–7|url=http://www.globalsciencebooks.info/Online/GSBOnline/images/2011/BBB_5%28SI1%29/BBB_5%28SI1%2953-59o.pdf}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Smith|first1=L.L.|last2=Doughty|first2=R.W.|title=The Amazing Armadillo: Geography of a Folk Critter|date=2012|publisher=University of Texas Press|location=Texas, US|isbn=978-0-292-74945-0|url={{Google Books|id=VruNURXKNHwC|page=PP16|plainurl=yes}}}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Portal|Mammals|Animals|South America}}
*{{Wikispecies-inline|Euphractus sexcinctus}}
*{{Commons category-inline|Euphractus sexcinctus}}

{{Cingulata}}
{{Cingulata Genera|C.|state=autocollapse}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q902876}}

[[Category:Armadillos]]
[[Category:Mammals of Brazil]]
[[Category:Mammals of Bolivia]]
[[Category:Mammals of Argentina]]
[[Category:Mammals of Paraguay]]
[[Category:Mammals of Uruguay]]
[[Category:Mammals of Suriname]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Amazon]]
[[Category:Fauna of the Cerrado]]
[[Category:Mammals described in 1758]]
[[Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus]]