Giant armadillo photographed by a camera-trap during daylight. © Proyecto Tatú Carreta (Giant Armadillo Project – Argentina)

In Argentina the Giant armadillo only inhabits in the Grand Chaco region, which is currently under the higher deforestation rate in the world. Additional tools to promote the protection of this threatened region will be generated through this project. The habitat models, to identify the landscape factors that best describe species’ movements and those habitat requirements that would be essential for the survivorship of the species, will result on management recommendations to improve the connectivity between protected areas, such as cost-effective measures where specific threats need to be mitigated, promoting the conservation of the Giant armadillo and the Chaco forests.

Moreover, through continuous monitoring of tagged individuals, this work provides visibility to the Giant armadillo in the region by increasing awareness about its conservation status, serving as a powerful educational tool to influence the perception and actions of local inhabitant towards this species, the forest, and wildlife in general. Thus, this study favours the conservation of Giant armadillos and their habitat, as also of other sensitive species inside and outside protected areas. This study will generate not only novel information on the ecology and conservation of the Giant armadillo in its southernmost range of distribution but will also contribute to the assessment of the present and future conservation status of the species in Argentina.

Header: Giant armadillo photographed by a camera-trap during daylight. © Proyecto Tatú Carreta (Giant Armadillo Project – Argentina)