ARMADILLOS

D. sabanicola is found throughout the Llanos (the flat plains) of Venezuela and Colombia. It has been recorded at elevations between 25 and 200 m asl (Eisenberg, 1989).

The northern long-nosed armadillo is generally restricted to open or shrubland habitats in lowland and mid-altitude areas.

 

D. sabanicola is locally rare. It has been found to be moderately common in intact natural habitats. Animals have a home range of between 1.7 and 11.6 hectares (Ferguson-Laguna, 1984). The female gives birth to one yearly litter of four young.

In parts of its range it is threatened by intense hunting for subsistence purposes (Ferguson-Laguna, 1984) and by ongoing habitat loss.

D. sabanicola is listed as Least Concern in view of its wide distribution, the availability of significant areas of suitable intact savanna habitat, and the absence of major threats to this species. There is evidence of severe hunting in some parts of the species' range. It has been recorded from several protected areas and is protected by national legislation in Venezuela.

Additional information and a complete list of references can be found in: Abba, A.M. and M. Superina (2010): The 2009/2010 Armadillo Red List Assessment. Edentata 11(2): 135-184. This article is available here.