Armadillo and Campeiro Deer, endangered species

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Continuing our Brazilian Animals Series, in this article we will discuss the Armadillo and the Campeiro Deer. The latter inspired the name of one of the most beautiful destinations in the Brazilian Center-West.

Three-ball

Small, exotic and shy, but friendly. It was in this way that the nine-banded armadillo, a species of mammal found in the Caatinga and Cerrado, appeared to Brazilians – and the rest of the planet – in 2014, when it became Fuleco, the mascot of the World Cup held in Brazil. Brazil. The choice was essential to make the animal better known to the population, as the animal is on the list of Brazilian Fauna Species Threatened with Extinction, from the Ministry of the Environment.

Also known as the armadillo, ball, little ball, tranquinha or tabu-bola-do-nordeste, the animal is the smallest and least known species of armadillo in the country, but the only endemic one. And it can be found in 12 Brazilian states: Bahia, Ceará, Pernambuco, Alagoas, Sergipe, Piauí, Mato Grosso, Goiás, Minas Gerais, Tocantins, Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Norte, although in many they are already beginning to become extinct.

The nine-banded armadillo measures approximately 50 cm, no more, and weighs around 1.2 kg, its main characteristic being the ability to fold itself into a ball – hence the popular name it received – when it feels threatened, thus creating a hard shell.

This ability helps protect the body’s soft spots against possible predator attacks. It feeds on termites, ants, small invertebrates and fruits. It also consumes sand, bark and roots along with its food. The species lives for around 13 and 15 years in its natural habitat: the caatinga and the cerrado.

Pampas deer

Chapada dos Veadeiros is one of the most popular cerrado destinations among Brazilian tourists. This is where the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park is located, which was created in 1961, about 250 km north of Brasília and 470 km northeast of Goiânia.

Hundreds of springs and watercourses are protected in the park. There are several waterfalls, rivers – where you can bathe –, thermal waters and trails, including routes used by former miners. A perfect setting for those who like adventure without leaving comfort aside. There, the natural beauty is stunning: in 2001, Chapada dos Veadeiros was declared a Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO.

As we said before, this place’s name was inspired by the pampas deer, as it was in this region that deer hunters, called Veadeiros, lived many years ago.

The Campeiro Deer is an endangered species, found in the cerrado regions of Brazil and also Bolivia, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. It is a diurnal animal, however, after years of intense hunting, to protect themselves, they began to hide and go out into the woods more at night.

Its conservation depends on private or public preservation spaces and parks. These animals live in small groups of a maximum of six individuals, and when adults they weigh between 30 and 40 kg, with an average height of 0.7 to 0.75 meters. They are excellent sprinters, being able to reach 70 km/h, even jumping over obstacles.

Females of this species generally have offspring for one cycle, being born between the months of August and September. Their puppies are born with colored fur but lose the spots as they grow, until they are four months old.

Males have a striking characteristic determined by the growth cycle of their horns. These horns are branched and fall off every year, normally in the month of May, with another growing in their place, that is, they are exchanged. This occurs due to the level of the hormone testosterone, which, when low, causes the horn to fall.

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