The head and body length of -Zaedyus pichiy- is between 260-335mm while the tail length is about 100-140mm. The pichi has very small ears, well developed claws, and dark brown armor. The armor usually has white to yellow edges with hairs sticking up between them; hairs range from mostly black bristles to longer yellow and white hairs. The tail is usually yellow (Nowak, 1999).
Range mass: 1 to 2 kg.
Other Physical Features: endothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Average basal metabolic rate: 2.192 W.
Average lifespan
Status: captivity: 9.0 years.
The pichi is found in the grasslands and arid regions of southern South America. It usually resides in areas with sandy soils. It burrows underground but is found above ground both during night and day (Macdonald, 1984; Nowak, 1999).
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland
Living in grasslands and open pampas, Zaedyus pichiy can be found in Chile, South Argentina, and Patagonia, south to the Strait of Magellan (Macdonald, 1984; Nowak, 1999).
Biogeographic Regions: neotropical (Native )
The pichi's diet usually consists of insects, worms, some plant matter (like tubers), carrion, and other animal matter. It has also been known to eat some rodents and lizards (Parker, 1990; Nowak, 1999; Macdonald, 1984).
Some people have used -Zaedyus pichiy- as pets and it has been known to be used as a tasty food source (Macdonald, 1984; Nowak, 1999).
Perception Channels: tactile ; chemical
The pichi is still abundant in its natural environment and is widely distributed. It has no special conservation status yet (Parker (ed.), 1990).
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: near threatened
Little is known about the reproduction of -Zaedyus pichiy-. It is speculated that it breeds all year with a gestation period of about 60 days. The pichi has litters of 1-3 babies weighing about 95-115g which are weaned at about 6 weeks. Life expectancy is guessed to be at about 9 years (Nowak, 1999).
Key Reproductive Features: gonochoric/gonochoristic/dioecious (sexes separate); sexual
Average birth mass: 105 g.
Average gestation period: 60 days.
Average number of offspring: 2.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (male)
Sex: male: 320 days.
Average age at sexual or reproductive maturity (female)
Sex: female: 320 days.
The Pichi (Zaedyus pichiy), also known as the Dwarf Armadillo, has a head and body length of 260 to 335 mm (10.2 to 13.2 in) and a tail length of 100 to 140 mm (3.9 to 5.5 in). It is found in Argentina from the Provinces of Mendoza, San Luís and Buenos Aires south to the Río Santa Cruz, from the Atlantic Coast of Argentina west to the Andean grasslands of Argentina and Chile. In Chile it is found from Region V south to the Straits of Magellan.
The shell ofZ. pichiyis dark brown with whitish lateral edges, and the tail is yellowish. Posterior edges of the dorsal shell plates are thickly set with fine black hairs, and longer yellowish bristles are interspersed. The underparts are covered with coarse yellowish hairs. The claws on all feet are well-developed.Z. pichiyhas small ears. The animal resembles Euphractus, but is more closely related to Chaetophractus.
Z. pichiydigs burrows in open areas, on the base of small bushes on firm, sandy grounds.Z. pichiydraws in its feet to anchor the shell to the ground as a defense mechanism, like Chaetophractus. The animal shelters in shallow dens. The diet consists of insects, worms, and any small animal food it can find, including carrion.Z. pichiyis also reported to eat plant material, especially seed pods of the Prosopis tree.
Z. pichiyis solitary. The animal has been reported to hibernate, at least in some localities. Local people prize the animal as a food item, and it is sometimes used as a house pet.
Z. pichiybreeds year-round. Gestation period is 60 days. One to three young may be born, although the number is usually two. Young are weaned at 6 months, and are sexually mature at 9 months to 1 year. One specimen lived 9 years in captivity.
The pichi (Zaedyus pichiy), dwarf armadillo or pygmy armadillo is an armadillo native to Argentina. It is the only living member of the genus Zaedyus,[2] and the only armadillo to hibernate.
Pichis are relatively small armadillos, measuring approximately 27 cm (11 in) long, with a tail of about 11 cm (4.3 in). Adults weigh anything from 700 to 1,500 grams (25 to 53 oz), and males may be slightly larger than females.[3]
The carapace varies from light yellow to near-black, and consists of heavy scapular and pelvic shields composed of rectangular osteoderms, and separated by six to eight movable bands. An additional "nuchal" band lies in front of the scapular shield, and there is also a triangular shield on top of the head, and further osteoderms along the tail. The underside of the animal has a coat of tan-coloured hair, which is thicker and longer in winter; there are also a few long hairs protruding through small holes near the posterior edge of some of the scales. Pichis have well-developed claws on all four feet. The ears are short, and the eyes dark and relatively small.[3]
Pichis have eight teeth on each side of the upper jaw, and nine on the lower. The absence of teeth on the premaxillary bone of the upper jaw is one of the features that allows them to be distinguished from other, similar, armadillos, such as the six-banded armadillo.[3] Females have two teats, located in the chest region, and, like most armadillos, lack a true vagina, instead having a single urogenital sinus about 18 mm (0.71 in) in length.[4] The male's penis is unusually long among mammals, being about 60% of the total body length.[5]
Pichis are found from central and southern Argentina (Patagonia), west to the Andean grasslands of Chile, and south to the Strait of Magellan. Within this region, it most commonly inhabits arid or semiarid steppe grasslands, but may be found in other environments if they have sandy soils suitable for burrowing.[1]
Pichis are omnivorous, with the largest part of their diet consisting of invertebrates such as beetles, ants, and scorpions, though they will also eat small mammals or lizards, as well as plant material and fungi.[6] Despite living in arid environments, they are not thought to drink water in the wild.[3] Common predators include crowned eagles, buzzard-eagles, foxes, and cougars.[3][7][8]
Pichis are the only armadillos known to hibernate. Like many hibernating animals, they build up considerable fat reserves before entering their winter burrows, where they remain from May to August. During hibernation, their body temperature drops from its normal value of about 35 °C (95 °F) to just 14 °C (57 °F). In addition to true hibernation, they also enter a period of daily torpor, lasting up to four hours each night, during which their body temperature can drop to as low as 24 °C (75 °F).[9]
The breeding season lasts from spring to early summer, with the exact months depending on latitude. Females may be induced ovulators, and give birth to one or two young after a gestation period of 58 to 60 days, typically between October and January. The young are born with soft, pink skin with tiny osteoderms that begin to harden and turn more yellow after about two weeks. Newborn pichis weigh about 50 g (1.8 oz), and put on an average of 9 g (0.32 oz) per day until weaning ends at about 40 days and they leave the burrow for the first time.[10]
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Pichis are solitary and diurnal. They dig burrows in sandy soil, which they use for shelter from extremes of weather. The burrows have a dome-shaped entrance and a single passage that can reach several metres in length, before terminating in a bare, unlined, resting chamber. They do not inhabit their burrows for extended periods, digging new ones at least every few weeks, and sometimes daily. During the winter, when the weather is more extreme, the burrows may be deeper than they are in the summer, reaching as much as 1.5 m (4 ft 11 in) below ground.[9]
Pichis are solitary outside of the mating season. When threatened, they wedge themselves into their shallow burrow making it difficult for an attacker to drag them out because of their jagged scales, or else lie flat on the ground to protect their vulnerable belly. They have been reported to make both purring sounds and a loud grunt or scream.[3]
The IUCN has rated the conservation status of Z. pichiy as near-threatened.[1] It is hunted for subsistence and sport, despite being protected in both Argentina. The armadillo is eaten and used in local handicrafts. Cattle ranching poses a threat to its habitat. Some populations have also been impacted by an unknown disease.[1]
The pichi (Zaedyus pichiy), dwarf armadillo or pygmy armadillo is an armadillo native to Argentina. It is the only living member of the genus Zaedyus, and the only armadillo to hibernate.
