Rare Giant Armadillo Birth Recorded

Because they are rarely seen and near extinction "almost nothing is known about them and most of the available information is anecdotal."

BBC Nature / Via bbc.co.uk

"The birth of a rare giant armadillo has been recorded for the first time in Brazil. Researchers studying the 'vulnerable' animals first saw a male and female sharing a burrow thanks to automated camera traps. The young armadillo was photographed in full as it moved to another home with its mother."

"Documenting the birth of a giant armadillo is an exciting step forward to helping us better understand the biology and reproduction of this cryptic species and ultimately help us conserve it," said Dr Arnaud Desbiez, co-ordinator of the Pantanal Giant Armadillo Project."

"Four week old baby giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus) leaving the burrow for the first time with its mother. Footage taken at Fazenda Baia das Pedras, Pantanal, MS, Brazil."

Read more about the importance of the "Camera Trap Revolution"

Via news.mongabay.com

"The camera trap revolution: how a simple device is shaping research and conservation worldwide"

“Due to its cryptic behavior and low population densities, the giant armadillo is one of the least studied species of the Dasypodidae family. The species is highly fossorial [i.e. spends time underground] as well as nocturnal and therefore rarely seen,” he says, adding, “almost nothing is known about them and most of the available information is anecdotal.”