The pink fairy armadillo, known scientifically as the Chlamyphorus truncatus, is a tiny armadillo covered in pink plates and silky white hair that could fit in the palm of your hand. CONICET researcher Mariella Superina and her team have been studying the rare creature in Mendoza, Argentina to determine whether the pink fairy armadillo is endangered, rare, or simply hard to spot. According to Science News, biologists had previously thought the fairy armadillo “swims” through sand and dirt. Instead, Superina says “It was very funny — it digs and then it backs up and compacts the sand with its butt plate.” To see more pictures of the pink fairy armadillo and its “butt plate,” take a look at the article on Science News.
photos by Mariella Superina via Science News
via Science News, Boing Boing
