Lesser fairy armadillo

Description

The truncated chlamydophore ( Chlamyphorus truncatus Harlan,1825 ) is an armadillo of the family Dasypodidae,widespread in South America,where it is known as the pichi ciego.It is the only species of the genus Chlamyphorus.Measure 13-15 cm,plus 4-5 cm tail.The head,the abdomen and the hips are covered by a soft and fine whitish fur: the tail is bare,flattened and stiff and in the end it looks like a spoon.The eyes and ears are very small.The front limbs are equipped with strong claws suitable for excavation.It has on its back a yellowish armor formed by 24 corneal plates that start from the forehead and continue up to the back of the body,which branches off abruptly (hence the name truncatus of the species) and is protected by a vertical shield.The armor is only lightly welded to the skeleton (areas of greater welding are found on the head and on the spinal apophysis).