Yepes's mulita
The Yungas armadillo ( Dasypus yepesi ) is a belt species, which is endemic native to northern Argentina. She lives in the Yungas forests of the Andean foreland, but their lifestyle is as good as not explored. Overall, only nine sites are known in which the Yungas Armadillo has been observed. The conservation status of the stock is unknown.
Features
The Yungas armadillo reaches a head-body length of 31-32 cm, the tail is an additional 23 cm long and takes around 70 % of the body length a. It is thus smaller than the nine -banded armadillo ( Dasypus novemcinctus ), but larger than the seven -banded armadillo ( Dasypus septemcinctus ) and the Southern Seven -banded Armadillo ( Dasypus hybridus ). The head is about 7.3 inches long and on the cheekbones up to 3.2 cm wide. The ears reach 3.7 cm in length than half the length of the head. The teeth meet like all armadillos not the typical mammal teeth, but is built without enamel. Per half of the jaw has the Yungas armadillo in the upper jaw 7-8, in the lower jaw always 8 such teeth, a total of 30 to 32 The characteristic carapace, which is somewhat lighter colored on the sides than on the top, consists of a fixed shoulder and pelvic girdle, between which there are 7-9, moving on average 8, joined by skin folds bands. The fourth movable band is made up of 51 to 63 small, triangular bone plates that the stronger armor areas, however, are designed roundish. The 6.1 cm length quite short front legs end in four, back in five rays that bear claws each.
Distribution and habitat
The Yungas armadillo lives endemic in northern Argentina and occurs only in the provinces of Jujuy and Salta. Overall, only nine localities are known where the species has been observed belt and extending over an area of 22,000 km ². The density of the Polulation is not explored. The habitat consists mainly of the Yungas montane forests of the Andean foreland 440-1800 m above sea level. These are mainly characterized by high rainfall from 800 to 2000 mm annual average. However, the Yungas Armadillo also tolerates drier habitats and comes in the deeper layers of its habitat in dry forests before.
Way of life
Due to lack of field research is about the lifestyle of the Yungas Armadillo unknown.
System
Dasypodinae
Tolypeutes
Priodontes
Chlamyphorinae
Zaedyus
Chaetophractus
Euphractus
The Yungas Armadillo is one of the seven, still living species of the genus of long nose armadillos ( Dasypus ). The long-nosed armadillos turn belong in the family of armadillos ( Dasypodidae ). Within this genus Dasypus is assigned its own subfamily, the Dasypodinae, which are also the now-extinct genera Stegotherium and Propraopus be attached to. The former is widely known from the Miocene and included several species, whereas the latter comes from the Pleistocene and also performed with several types. According to molecular genetic studies, the Dasypodinae separated already in the Upper Eocene some 37 million years ago from the line of other armadillos from. As most closely related group Tolypeutinae are to be considered, where the ball armadillos ( Tolypeutes ), the naked-tailed armadillo ( Cabassous ) and the giant armadillo ( Priodontes ) are attributed.
The first description of Yungas Armadillo was undertaken in 1995 by Sergio F. Vizcaíno. Back comes the determination to the taxon Dasypus mazzai, which had been erected in 1933 by JV Yepes based on museum specimens. With a further review of the holotype but this turned out to be young of the nine -banded armadillo ( Dasypus novemcinctus ) out, whereupon D. mazzai is now considered Synonymbezeichnug this type. Other, originally Dasypus mazzai placed in conjunction copies had been further assigned to the seven -banded armadillo ( Dasypus septemcinctus ) and the Southern Seven -banded Armadillo ( Dasypus hybridus ). The remaining undetermined individuals used to Vizcaíno description of the Yungas Armadillo. The holotype ( specimen number: ODP - MLP 30 - III-90 -8) is preserved in the museum of the city of La Plata in Argentina and includes a tank with skull and lower jaw, from the village of San Andrés in the province of Salta of 1800 m above sea level come.
The four armadillo species listed and additionally the savanna armadillo ( Dasypus sabanicola ) are all more closely related to each other and form the sub-genus Dasypus. The Kappler Armadillo ( Dasypus kappleri ), however, creates its own subgenus, Hyperoambon, as well as the fur armadillo ( Dasypus pilosus ) with Cryptophractus. Within the subgenus Dasypus the Yungas armadillo, together with the savannah, Seven -banded and the Southern Seven -banded Armadillo closer group, while the nine -banded armadillo is a bit further out. Since the separation of the Kappler - the Nine-banded Armadillo molecular genetic studies show that took place in the Upper Miocene epoch, about 6 million years ago, the other representative of the subgenus must, accordingly, have separated later. Overall, the Yungas Armadillo is but too little explored, as well as other morphological and genetic studies are called for to clarify the taxonomic status of the belt species. The species name honors yepesi JV Yepes, who had previously placed mazzai in 1933 Dasypus, but at the same time doubted the uniformity of the taxon.
Threat and protection
Due to missing observations is about the threat of the Yungas Armadillo nothing is known, but it is believed that it is used as a food resource that is local and the negative effect the destruction of the forests on the stock. The IUCN can not specify a protection status for the belt species due to non- existing data ( data deficient ). However, the Yungas Armadillo from two national parks is detected, the 760 km ² national park Calilegua and 440 km ² national park El Rey. To protect and possible observation camera traps are installed, with which it was tracked down several times.