What do we know about armadillos? An analysis of four centuries of knowledge about a group of South American mammals, with emphasis on their conservation

Abstract

Basic knowledge on the biology and ecology of a species is fundamental for the realistic assessment of its conservation status and for planning effective conservation strategies. The latest assessment of the 21 extant armadillo species (Xenarthra, Dasypodidae) by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for its Red List of Threatened Species shows that considerable gaps exist in our knowledge of these Neotropical mammals. Our goal was to analyse the existing literature on armadillos to define thematic and regional research priorities that will eventually benefit their conservation. We categorized 3117 publications on extant armadillos published between 1660 and 2011 according to their research topic, species studied, country and publication language. The number of publications per research topic and the number per species were very variable. The nine best‐studied species are classed as Least Concern by the IUCN, while three of the four least‐studied species are classed as Data Deficient. At least one field study was done in each range country, but over 80% of field research took place in the USA, Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia. Most research was done in the USA on leprosy in Dasypus novemcinctus. Most ecological research has been focused on four species, and data on the ecology of Data Deficient and Vulnerable taxa are virtually absent. Field research on armadillos should be intensified to broaden conservation‐relevant knowledge. Additional studies in the Guianas, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela and Paraguay are urgently needed to assess the conservation status of armadillos in these regions. Future research should focus on ecology, conservation, population genetics, reproduction and threats. Species priorities should include country endemics, such as Dasypus pilosus (Peru), Tolypeutes tricinctus (Brazil) and Dasypus yepesi and Chlamyphorus truncatus (Argentina), as well as other Data Deficient and Vulnerable species, especially Cabassous centralis and Calyptophractus retusus.

Differentiation and characterization of burrows of two species of armadillos in the Brazilian Cerrado

“…This occurs even regarding species classified globally as "vulnerable" (P. maximus and T. tricinctus) in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Abba and Superina 2010). Thus, the field research on armadillos should be intensified to increase knowledge and conservation (Superina et al 2014).…”

Beyond Natural History: Some Thoughts About Research Priorities in the Study of Xenarthrans

“…in the study of xenarthrans (for recent examples, see Meritt, 2006;Vizcaíno & Loughry, 2008;Diniz & Brito, 2012;Loughry & McDonough, 2013;Superina et al, 2014). There is certainly merit in all of these previous suggestions, and we hope the ideas provided here statement about what needs to be done.…”

“…Obviously, in order to identify important papers one must review the existing body of literature about xenarthrans. Recently, Superina et al (2014) have done just that for armadillos. Their analyses revealed that, not surprisingly, of >3,000 papers published over 400 years, 1,337 of these focused on nine-banded armadillos (Dasypus novemcinctus), which in turn was largely due to the explosion of interest in these animals as a model for leprosy studies, beginning in the 1970s.…”

“…In reviewing the body of literature on armadillos, Superina et al (2014) categorized each pa-dous interest in leprosy in nine-banded armadillos, of leprosy). Most other categories, such as ecology, evolution, conservation, and so on, were less well-represented, and often consisted of primarily descriptive accounts.…”

Research trends on bats in China: A twenty-first century review

“…This shows that national scientists are the main leaders of the research conducted in China. Publishing in the country's native language has the advantage to make the information available to national policymakers and local public (Bortolus, 2012;Di Bitetti and Ferreras, 2017;Superina et al, 2014). Although English-language papers represent the majority of publications in the last decade in China, their proportion is still much lower than in other non-English speaking countries (González-Alcaide et al, 2012).…”