C. unicinctus Skull Replica measuers 3.1 inches. C. unicinctus Skull Replica is museum quality polyurethane cast. Made in USA. 2-part skull (separate cranium and jaw). California Academy of Sciences Specimen. Known as the Southern Naked-Tailed Armadillo.
The C. unicinctus is an armadillo species from South America. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Paraguay and Peru.
Smaller than some other armadillos, C. unicinctus males measure an average of 14 inches in head-body length, and weigh around 6.6 lb.
Females are larger, measuring 15 inches and weighing 8.4 lb. The tail measures around 6.3 inches in both sexes, and has only tiny scales in its skin, unlike the larger scutes found in most other armadillo species.
C. unicinctus upper body is covered by a dark grey bony carapace of squarish scutes. In the mid part of the body, this carapace is divided into a series of ten to thirteen mobile rings, giving the animal some degree of flexibility.
Although there are some bristly hairs around the margins of the scutes, the tail and underside of the animal are hairless.
The armour covers the back of the neck and extends onto the head between the ears. Smaller and thinner scales are also found on the cheeks and the outer surface of the ears. The snout is relatively short, and the ears large and funnel-like.
C. unicinctus have five clawed toes on each foot, with the middle claws on the forefeet being particularly large.
C. unicinctus are solitary, and are said to be nocturnal in the tropics but have been reported to be diurnal further south.
As are many armadillos, it is an insectivore, feeding almost entirely on ants and termites. Reproduction occurs year-round, and animals have lived up to seven years in captivity.
The armadillos spend much of their time burrowing, digging burrows about 6.3 in. in diameter.
The outer parts of the burrow are rounded, since the animal initially rotates its body as it digs, but they become flatter about 18 in. in from the entrance. They are typically located in termite mounds
C. unicinctus are a least-concern species that has been categorized by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) as evaluated as not being a focus of species conservation because the specific species is still plentiful in the wild.
