Working Together to Save a Giant
100 pounds and 5 feet long may not be the measurements you think of when envisioning a giant … but when you’re thinking about armadillos, giant is an accurate description!
Reid Park Zoo has been a proud supporter of the Giant Armadillo Project in Brazil for two years. Reid Park Zoo’s Teen Volunteers have had the opportunity via Skype to meet the Project’s Coordinator, Arnaud Desbiez, to learn about these giants – and why it is so important to protect them. Though they are rarely seen, giant armadillos play a vital role in both the Cerrado and Pantanal ecosystems in Brazil by being ecosystem engineers.
The burrow of a giant armadillo not only serves as a home for that armadillo, but also as a refuge for over 70 different species. Every two days, a giant armadillo digs a new burrow providing an abundance of “vacant hotels” for the animals throughout the Cerrado and Pantanal.
You can learn more about giant armadillos by reading the digital book, “Giant Armadillo, A Digging Machine,” written by Arnaud Desbiez with assistance from staff at Reid Park Zoo and Greenville Zoo. At Reid Park Zoo, we’re committed to conservation worldwide.
Read it here:
Do you love reading? We are currently working together to create another armadillo book called, “Hotel Armadillo,” as well as another book about anteater conservation. These books will be made available through Reid Park Zoo’s website once completed.
Photos courtesy of Giant Armadillo Project.