Three-banded+Armadillo

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[[image:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Southern_Three_Banded_Armadillo_001-2.jpg width="311" height="211" caption="By Southern_Three_Banded_Armadillo_001.jpg: Ltshears derivative work: MAURILBERT (discuter) (Southern_Three_Banded_Armadillo_001.jpg) [CC-BY-SA-3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), via Wikimedia Commons"]] //Tolypeutes matacus// Order: Edentata or Xenarthra =**__Husbandry Information__**=

Housing Requirements

 * Plenty of floor space is good for this species that likes to spend time exploring and digging, especially at night.
 * Philadelphia Zoo housed a 3-banded armadillo in a stock tank with a custom built lid and in a walk-in corners style enclosure 5'x8'. Mulch or mulch mixed with wood chips are provided as substrate as is a heat lamp and two hide locations, one near the heat supplement end, the other near the cool end.
 * Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium houses a male in a 6' X 8' enclosure. It is a concrete floor covered with thin rubber matting. Furniture includes a large vari-kennel bottom bedded with Care Fresh. This is a low-dust bedding and works well. Timothy hay is also provided for bedding.
 * The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium currently houses a female in a large stock tub with rounded sides. A thick layer of aspen bedding is offered for substrate. The entire room is on a supplemental heat system to increase temperatures. Plastic tubs and PVC tubes are offered as hide boxes. In addition, we have a breeding pair in a much larger tub with multiple hide boxes and tubes.

Diet Requirements

 * In the wild, armadillos eat ground-dwelling insects such as beetles, ants, and termites. They may also eat fruit.
 * At the Philadelphia Zoo, three-banded armadillos are fed Anteater Premix, K-Sol, Mazuri insectivore chow, waxworms, and mealworms.
 * At the Pittsburgh Zoo, three-banded armadillos are fed dry catfood, canned dog food, chopped apple or pear, sweet potato, carrot, hard boiled egg, and mealworms/superworms.

Veterinary Concerns

 * At Philadelphia Zoo, we have had occasional issues with a scale popping off. It is usually treated with ointment and monitored by the vets. There have also been several instances where this individual armadillo would show signs of being itchy (rolling over on back and scratching at belly), that were resolved with an ivermectin treatment.
 * At the Pittsburgh Zoo, we had an issue of with a fungal infection on one of our females. A small white patch appeared and was treated with anti-fungal ointment. The white patch later fell off, leaving a small divot in the remaining shell.

Notes on Enrichment & Training

 * Oregon Zoo reports that you can train this species as long as you can find a food item they are interested in. Timing is critical for successful training and the process seems to work better when the animal is awake and attentive rather than when just woken up and disturbed. They have their armadillo target trained and crate trained.
 * Nashville Zoo notes that can be difficult to find a good "treat," which would make training and positive reinforcement more challenging. They ended up using brief periods of desensitization: handling for a few minutes, a few times throughout the day. Their armadillo still rolls up when he is first picked up, but he now unrolls and starts to walk around pretty quickly.
 * Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium has successfully trained a male armadillo to perform an A to B on stage. Initial reinforcement for reaching mid-point stations was coconut extract. Mid-point stations were eventually faded out with reinforcement delivered when the animal reached his kennel off stage. Returning to the kennel is very reinforcing for this animal and he is also given vanilla yogurt, waxworms, and mealworms.
 * PDZA enrichment includes paper feed sacks, tubes and tunnels, balls, all sorts of scents, and free running time in the grass outside of his enclosure.
 * These animals need LOTS of exercise! Provide as much space as possible and as much enrichment as you can to alleviate stress and stereotypies.
 * Alternative reinforcers to insects used at facilities: Coconut oil, or feeding a mixure of peanut butter and yogurt

=__Programmatic Information__=

Tips on Presentation

 * Armadillos are not comfortable being off the ground, so when training and presenting this species, try approaches that allow for presentation on a solid surface (carts, tables, or the ground) or provide adequate support when holding the animal so it can relax. Use caution with tables as the armadillo may not perceive the edge well and run off of it.
 * Using bins filled with items to root through is a good way to display a natural behavior for this species.
 * Some institutions do allow guests to touch armadillos. Nashville Zoo notes that their armadillo will generally roll up when touched, which is a sign of stress. Therefore, they only allow contact when the groups are very small, to minimize the stress.
 * Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium presents their armadillo in several ways. For programs he is often displayed in a child's wading pool (the high wall variety) lined on the bottom with astroturf. On Close Encounters he is allowed to run freely in a large grassy area. This works extremely well as the running and rooting appear to be highly enriching. He is periodically lifted up for guests to touch on the back. After shows, he is brought out to a small dirt digging area at the front of the stage so people can see him closely.
 * At Fresno Chaffee Zoo they present by having the kids in a classroom sit in a circle on the floor and the armadillo is placed in the center on a tarp and can run around. Kids can touch the armadillo on the back and staff toss out mealworms for the armadillo to hunt. They allow public contact but must use hand sanitizer or wash hands immediately after touching. The only special considerations are when handling are to not get fingers trapped if they curl up when holding them, and when placed in the carrier, make sure they are safe from rolling around while in transit.
 * Armadillo educational materials, including coloring pages and mazes that nicely accompany armadillo encounters, are available from the Pantanal Giant Armadillo Project at http://giantarmadillo.org.br/en/material-to-downloads/

Tips on Handling

 * Keep in mind that this species is often considered easy to handle because they curl up in a ball. While it is tempting to use this response to allow easy handling, remember this is an antipredator response. General handling should not rely on this response and attempts should be made to acclimate the animal to handling using positive reinforcement so that a chronic stressed condition is not caused.
 * Oregon Zoo staff have noted that male animals that have been in breeding situations have a tendency to try to grab things that are armadillo sized to attempt mating which can make handling for programs challenging. This particular problem was solved by presenting this animal in a clear plastic carrier with a few mealworms. Then program attendees can safely touch the animal on the back.

Potential Messaging

 * Anti predator behavior and adaptations
 * South American mammals
 * Climate change: Desert and Dryland species have specific adaptations for the temperature and water availability in their natural habitat and may not be able to adjust to the drying effects of climate change. Hotter conditions promote wildfires. More extreme drought conditions kill plants that hold the soil in place and occasional extreme rain events wash that soil away preventing them from growing back in a process called desertification. Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels contributes to climate change by trapping heat in the atmosphere. Please ask guests to walk, bike, or take public transportation when possible and to reduce their use of fossil fuels when they do drive by buying a fuel economic car, carpooling, combining errands, and keeping vehicles properly tuned up and their tires properly inflated. At home and work, purchase Energy Star appliances, turn off lights when they are not in use, and use heaters and air conditioners sparingly. The principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle will also help by decreasing greenhouse gas emissions involved with the manufacture and disposal of unnecessary goods. [][] https://biomesfirst09.wikispaces.com/Desert+Conservation[]

=__Acquisition Information__= With over 150 animals in over 60 North American institutions, the three-banded armadillo is the most common armadillo held in zoos. It has been bred successfully in several zoos in the US.

There is a SSP program for this species but it can still be difficult to acquire surplus animals since the goal is to grow this population so retention of animals for breeding situations has priority. Cincinnati Zoo and Fresno Chaffee Zoo have produced surplus animals specifically for program purposes in the past, and they may continue to do so, but institutions interested in acquiring a three-banded armadillo should contact the SSP to be added to the waiting list. [|Click here for SSP contact information].

=__Comments from the Rating System__=
 * Binghamton Zoo at Ross Park: Excellent animals to use for educational purposes!
 * Houston Zoo: Rated as "good" rather than "excellent" only because ours "times out" and shows signs of stress, sometimes after only a few minutes.
 * National Zoo: Easy to talk about; easy to care for
 * Philadelphia Zoo: Very unusual looking; visitors are intrigued by them; straight-forward husbandry; not very big

=__Natural History Information__=

Range and Habitat
Three-banded armadillos are native to central and eastern Bolivia, the Mato Grasso of central Brazil, the Chaco region of Paraguay, and northern and central Argentina. They are found in grassy or marshy habitats between scattered forestland. This species does not appear to dig its own burrows, instead using abandoned anteater burrows.

Physical Description
Hair is almost lacking on the upper parts of the body, and is only sparsely scattered on the under parts. The hairs are pale yellowish in color, while the remainder of the body is mottled brownish to yellowish white. Coloration is the same for both species, and there are no seasonal variance. Armadillo armor is made up of dermal bone covered by tough epidermal scales called scutes. This species of armadillo has strong forelimbs and long claws for digging, although they usually sleep under bushes, not in burrows. Average weight for this species is 2.2 to 3.5 pounds. Head and body length is 8.5 to 10.75 inches long, and the tail is 2.4 to 3.2 inches long.

Life Cycle
Females are able to delay the implantation of a fertilized egg for up to two years. Births occur between October and January, after a gestation period of 120 days. A single young is born at a time. Young are born blind, but they can walk and fully close their shells within hours of their birth. Three-banded armadillos can live 15 to 20 years.

Behavior
Depending on the season, three-banded armadillos can be either crepuscular or diurnal.

Threats and Conservation Status
The three-banded armadillo is designated as near threatened by the IUCN. This species seems to be suffering due to overhunting, and its habitat is threatened by agricultural development, cutting for charcoal, and mining for underlying calcareous deposits. Common predators include jaguars, pumas, and humans.

=__Did you know…__=
 * The word "armadillo" translates to "little armored one" in Spanish.
 * The three-banded armadillo is the only armadillo that can completely enclose itself by rolling into a ball.
 * When burrowing, three-banded armadillos can stop breathing for up to 6 minutes by storing air in the trachea and wide bronchus.

=__Photographs__=



=__Contributors and Citations__=
 * The Philadelphia Zoo
 * AZA Program Animal Listserv
 * Fresno Chaffee Zoo
 * Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium
 * Houston Zoo, Natural Encounters