Cingulata is an order of armored placental mammals. Members of this order are called cingulates, or colloquially, armadillos. They are primarily found in South America, though the northern naked-tailed armadillo is found mainly in Central America and the nine-banded armadillo has a range extending into North America. They are generally found in forests, but also savannas, shrublands, and grasslands. They all follow a similar body plan, and range in size from the pink fairy armadillo, at 11 cm (4 in) plus a 2 cm (1 in) tail, to the giant armadillo, at 100 cm (39 in) plus a 50 cm (20 in) tail. No population estimates have been made for any cingulate species, though the giant armadillo and the Brazilian three-banded armadillo are categorized as vulnerable species.

Brown armadillo
Nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

The twenty-two extant species of Cingulata are divided into two families: Dasypodidae, containing a single genus of nine species in the subfamily Dasypodinae, and Chlamyphoridae, containing thirteen species split between the two genera in the subfamily Chlamyphorinae, three in the subfamily Euphractinae, and three in the subfamily Tolypeutinae. Prior to 2016, all four subfamilies were included in Dasypodidae, with Chlamyphoridae containing only extinct species of glyptodonts.[1][2] Over one hundred extinct Cingulata species have been discovered, though due to ongoing research and discoveries the exact number and categorization is not fixed.[3]

Conventions

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IUCN Red List categories
Conservation status
 EX Extinct (0 species)
 EW Extinct in the wild (0 species)
 CR Critically Endangered (0 species)
 EN Endangered (0 species)
 VU Vulnerable (2 species)
 NT Near threatened (5 species)
 LC Least concern (8 species)
Other categories
 DD Data deficient (5 species)
 NE Not evaluated (2 species)

Conservation status codes listed follow the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species. Range maps are provided wherever possible; if a range map is not available, a description of the cingulate's range is provided. Ranges are based on the IUCN Red List for that species unless otherwise noted. All extinct species or subspecies listed alongside extant species went extinct after 1500 CE, and are indicated by a dagger symbol "†".

Classification

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The order Cingulata consists of two families, Dasypodidae and Chlamyphoridae. Dasypodidae contains nine species in a single genus, while Chlamyphoridae contains thirteen species in eight genera, divided into three subfamilies. Many of these species are further subdivided into subspecies. This does not include hybrid species or extinct prehistoric species.

Family Dasypodidae

Family Chlamyphoridae

Cingulata  

Cingulates

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The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by the reference work Mammal Species of the World (2005), with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using molecular phylogenetic analysis.[4]

Dasypodidae

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Subfamily Dasypodinae

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Genus Dasypus Linnaeus, 1758 – nine species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
East Amazonian long-nosed armadillo


D. beniensis
Lönnberg, 1942
North-central South America Size: 51–58 cm (20–23 in) long, plus 33–48 cm (13–19 in) tail[5]

Habitat: Forest[6]

Diet: Insects[5]
 NE 


Unknown  [6]

Greater long-nosed armadillo

 

D. kappleri
Krauss, 1862
Northeastern South America Size: 51–58 cm (20–23 in) long, plus 33–48 cm (13–19 in) tail[7]

Habitat: Forest[6]

Diet: Insects[7]
 LC 


Unknown  [6]

Hairy long-nosed armadillo

 

D. pilosus
(Fitzinger, 1856)
Western South America
 
Size: 32–44 cm (13–17 in) long, plus 23–31 cm (9–12 in) tail[8]

Habitat: Forest[9]

Diet: Insects[8]
 NE 


Unknown  [9]

Llanos long-nosed armadillo

 

D. sabanicola
Mondolfi, 1968
Northern South America
 
Size: 25–31 cm (10–12 in) long, plus 17–21 cm (7–8 in) tail[10]

Habitat: Forest[11]

Diet: Termites, as well as ants, beetles, and worms[10]
 NT 


Unknown  [11]

Nine-banded armadillo

 

D. novemcinctus
Linnaeus, 1758

Six subspecies
  • D. n. aequatorialis
  • D. n. fenestratus
  • D. n. hoplites
  • D. n. mexianae
  • D. n. mexicanus
  • D. n. novemcinctus
Central and northern South America, and central, southern, and eastern North America
 
Size: 35–57 cm (14–22 in) long, plus 24–45 cm (9–18 in) tail[12]

Habitat: Forest, savanna, shrubland, and grassland[13]

Diet: Omnivorous, including invertebrates, birds, fruit, and roots[12]
 LC 


Unknown  [13]

Seven-banded armadillo

 

D. septemcinctus
Linnaeus, 1758
Eastern South America
 
Size: 24–31 cm (9–12 in) long, plus 12–17 cm (5–7 in) tail[14]

Habitat: Forest, savanna, and grassland[15]

Diet: Insects, seeds, and other plant material[14]
 LC 


Unknown  [15]

Southern long-nosed armadillo

 

D. hybridus
Desmarest, 1804
Southeastern South America
 
Size: 26–31 cm (10–12 in) long, plus 15–19 cm (6–7 in) tail[16]

Habitat: Forest, savanna, shrubland, and grassland[17]

Diet: Ants, termites, and beetles, as well as plant material and small vertebrates[16]
 NT 


Unknown  [17]

West Amazonian long-nosed armadillo


D. pastasae
(Thomas, 1901)
Northwestern South America Size: 51–58 cm (20–23 in) long, plus 33–48 cm (13–19 in) tail[18]

Habitat: Forest[6]

Diet: Insects[18]
 DD 


Unknown  [6]

Yepes's mulita

 

D. mazzai
Yepes, 1933
South-central South America
 
Size: About 31 cm (12 in) long, plus 18–23 cm (7–9 in) tail[19]

Habitat: Forest[20]

Diet: Believed to be omnivorous with a preference for insects[19]
 DD 


Unknown  [20]

Chlamyphoridae

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Subfamily Chlamyphorinae

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Genus Calyptophractus Fitzinger, 1871 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Greater fairy armadillo

 

C. retusus
(Burmeister, 1863)
Central South America
 
Size: 14–18 cm (6–7 in) long, plus 4 cm (2 in) tail[21]

Habitat: Savanna, shrubland, and desert[22]

Diet: Insects, worms, snails, roots, and small seeds[21]
 DD 


Unknown  [22]

Genus Chlamyphorus Harlan, 1825 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Pink fairy armadillo

 

C. truncatus
Harlan, 1825
Southern South America
 
Size: 11–15 cm (4–6 in) long, plus 2–3 cm (1–1 in)tail[23][24]

Habitat: Savanna, shrubland, grassland, and desert[25]

Diet: insects, worms and snails, as well as possibly plants[23]
 DD 


Unknown  [25]

Subfamily Euphractinae

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Genus Chaetophractus Fitzinger, 1871 – two species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Big hairy armadillo

 

C. villosus
(Desmarest, 1804)
Southern South America
 
Size: 22–40 cm (9–16 in) long, plus 9–17 cm (4–7 in) tail[12]

Habitat: Forest, savanna, shrubland, grassland, and desert[26]

Diet: Omnivorous, including insects, invertebrates, small vertebrates, plants, and carrion[27]
 LC 


Unknown  [26]

Screaming hairy armadillo

 

C. vellerosus
(Gray, 1865)

Two subspecies
  • C. v. pannosus
  • C. v. vellerosus
Southern South America
 
Size: 20–30 cm (8–12 in) long, plus tail[28]

Habitat: Savanna, shrubland, grassland, and desert[29]

Diet: Beetles, butterfly larvae, plants, and small vertebrates[29]
 LC 


Unknown  [29]

Genus Euphractus Wagler, 1830 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Six-banded armadillo

 

E. sexcinctus
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Five subspecies
  • E. s. boliviae
  • E. s. flavimanus
  • E. s. setosus
  • E. s. sexcinctus
  • E. s. tucumanus
Central and eastern South America
 
Size: 40–50 cm (16–20 in) long, plus 20–25 cm (8–10 in) tail[30]

Habitat: Forest, savanna, shrubland, and grassland[31]

Diet: Carrion, small vertebrates, insects, spiders, bird eggs, and plants[30]
 LC 


Unknown  [31]

Genus Zaedyus Ameghino, 1889 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Pichi

 

Z. pichiy
(Desmarest, 1804)

Two subspecies
  • Z. p. caurinus
  • Z. p. pichiy
Southern South America
 
Size: 26–34 cm (10–13 in) long, plus 10–12 cm (4–5 in) tail[12]

Habitat: Shrubland, grassland, and desert[32]

Diet: Insects, worms, and other invertebrates, as well as carrion[12]
 NT 


Unknown  [32]

Subfamily Tolypeutinae

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Genus Cabassous McMurtrie, 1831 – four species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Chacoan naked-tailed armadillo

 

C. chacoensis
Wetzel, 1980
South-central South America
 
Size: 30–35 cm (12–14 in) long, plus 9–10 cm (4–4 in) tail[33]

Habitat: Forest, savanna, and shrubland[34]

Diet: Ants and termites, as well as seeds and fruit[33]
 NT 


Unknown  [34]

Greater naked-tailed armadillo

 

C. tatouay
(Desmarest, 1804)
Eastern South America
 
Size: 36–49 cm (14–19 in) long, plus 15–20 cm (6–8 in) tail[35]

Habitat: Forest and grassland[36]

Diet: Ants and termites[37]
 LC 


Unknown  [36]

Northern naked-tailed armadillo

 

C. centralis
(Miller, 1899)
Northern South America and Central America
 
Size: 30–40 cm (12–16 in) long, plus 5–7 cm (2–3 in) tail[12]

Habitat: Forest, savanna, and shrubland[38]

Diet: Termites and ants[12]
 DD 


Unknown  [38]

Southern naked-tailed armadillo

 

C. unicinctus
(Linnaeus, 1758)

Two subspecies
  • C. u. squamicaudis
  • C. u. unicinctus
Northern and central South America
 
Size: 35–44 cm (14–17 in) long, plus 16–20 cm (6–8 in) tail[39]

Habitat: Forest, shrubland, and grassland[40]

Diet: Ants and termites[39]
 LC 


Unknown  [40]

Genus Priodontes F. Cuvier, 1825 – one species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Giant armadillo

 

P. maximus
(Kerr, 1792)
Northern and central South America
 
Size: 75–100 cm (30–39 in) long, plus 50 cm (20 in) tail[41]

Habitat: Forest, savanna, and grassland[42]

Diet: Termites and certain ant species[43]
 VU 


Unknown  [42]

Genus Tolypeutes Illiger, 1811 – two species
Common name Scientific name and subspecies Range Size and ecology IUCN status and estimated population
Brazilian three-banded armadillo

 

T. tricinctus
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Eastern South America
 
Size: 23–25 cm (9–10 in) long, plus tail[44]

Habitat: Savanna and shrubland[45]

Diet: Ants, termites, beetles, and other insects, as well as plants[44]
 VU 


Unknown  [45]

Southern three-banded armadillo

 

T. matacus
(Desmarest, 1804)
South-central South America
 
Size: 20–25 cm (8–10 in) long, plus tail[46]

Habitat: Savanna and shrubland[47]

Diet: Insects, as well as fruit and seeds[46]
 NT 


Unknown  [47]

References

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  1. ^ Delsuc, F.; Gibb, G. C.; Kuch, M.; Billet, G.; Hautier, L.; Southon, J.; Rouillard, J.-M.; Fernicola, J. C.; Vizcaíno, S. F.; MacPhee, R. D. E.; Poinar, H. N. (2016). "The phylogenetic affinities of the extinct glyptodonts". Current Biology. 26 (4): R155–R156. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.01.039. hdl:11336/49579. PMID 26906483.
  2. ^ Gibb, G. C.; Condamine, F. L.; Kuch, M.; Enk, J.; Moraes-Barros, N.; Superina, M.; Poinar, H. N.; Delsuc, F. (2015). "Shotgun Mitogenomics Provides a Reference PhyloGenetic Framework and Timescale for Living Xenarthrans". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 33 (3): 621–642. doi:10.1093/molbev/msv250. PMC 4760074. PMID 26556496.
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  4. ^ Wilson, Reeder, pp. 94–99
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  24. ^ Carwardine, p. 68
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Sources

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