NEW DATA ON THE REPRODUCTIVE LIFESPAN OF GIANT ARMADILLOS (PRIODONTES MAXIMUS) IN THE WILD

Reproductive lifespan of giant armadillos

Abstract

The reproductive lifespan of a species is a key parameter used in a multitude of ecological analyses and conservation status assessments. A long-term study on giant armadillos (Priodontes maximus) in the Brazilian Pantanal using camera traps demonstrated that a female had a pup when she was at least 20 years old. It has been confirmed that this female has had at least five offspring and possibly a sixth. In future evaluations of the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list, we recommend that the generation length be set at 11 years, instead of seven years, for this species.