The Screaming Hairy Armadillo is named for both its distinctive hairy body and the sound it makes when enemies get close. Thick fur emerges from between the bony plates with stacked scales to protect the head and body. When threatened, it will let out a pitiful cry and then curl up into a ball. The screaming armadillo is native to dry rainforests, grasslands, scrublands, and deserts throughout central Argentina, Paraguay, and Bolivia. Nocturnal in summer but diurnal (active during the day) in winter, it lives alone in underground burrows for most of the year. This species has a normal lifespan of 8 or 9 years in captivity, but many die prematurely due to habitat loss or intentional human hunting (they are considered agricultural pests).
