Unraveling the cryptic life of the southern naked-tailed armadillo, Cabassous unicinctus squamicaudis (Lund, 1845), in a Neotropical wetland: Home range, activity pattern, burrow use and reproductive behaviour

The natural history of the southern naked-tailed armadillo Cabassous unicinctus squamicaudis is not well known. Here, we provide basic information about burrow systems, home ranges, activity, morphometric measures, and reproductive behaviour. We monitored 10 individuals through VHF telemetry and direct observations in the central Pantanal of Brazil for 24 months. Males (2.06 km2) had significantly larger home ranges than females (0.59 km2) and home ranges of males overlapped with those of several females. There was very little overlap in ranges of the same sex and very few social interactions were observed. Southern naked-tailed armadillos dug convoluted galleries to forage, and, unless they used their entrance to exit, they emerged on average 2 m away (ranging from 0.01 m to 17 m) from the burrow entrance. When leaving their burrows, they spend on average 6.5 min above ground, travelling an average of 83 m (ranging from 1 m to 781 m) before going back underground. They do not return to sleep in a particular burrow, changing burrows frequently. The studied armadillos were diurnal, and spend 99.25% of the day underground, emerging only during the hottest period of the day (mid-afternoon). The southern naked-tailed armadillos should be classified as a subterranean species, rather than fossorial since they spent most of their time underground where foraging also takes place. Minimum densities of C. u. squamicaudis were estimated at 2.21 adults/km2. Gestation was estimated to last for 4 months. Parental care of a single young lasted on average 4 months. Niche overlap between E. sexcinctus and C. u. squamicaudis in the study area is minimal.