The Zoochat Photographic Guide to Xenarthrans and Pangolins

It's been a long road - and I have an idea or two for "postscripts" to the mammal photographic guide project - but we have finally reached the final two major mammalian groups yet to be covered; the Xenarthra (sloths, armadillos and anteaters) and the Pholidota (pangolins), groups which although now recognised to belong to unrelated branches of the placental radiation were long assigned together within the now-defunct "Edentata" due to superficial similarities in dentition and - in the case of armadillos and pangolins - armoured integument.

We have, of course, already dealt with the aardvark in an earlier thread devoted to the Afrotheria, and as such need speak no further on the matter. However, before we get into the photographic guide proper, it would be remiss of me not to discuss the current placement of the two remaining groups in our understanding of the wider placental phylogeny.

To deal with the simpler issue first, it seems fairly well-established at this point that the Pholidota - despite being quite dissimilar to the members of the Carnivora in appearance, morphology and habits - represents the closest living kin to the aforementioned group, these representing the only living members of a clade termed the "Ferae" which appears to be sister to the Perissodactyla and Cetartiodactyla, It is worth mentioning, incidentally, that several extinct groups of mammals including the hyaenodont and oxyaenid "creodonts", are also regarded as members of the Ferae, and moreover that despite the similarity of the creodonts to modern carnivores they appear to be closer phylogenetically to the pangolins.

The trickier issue is where precisely the Xenarthra fits in; it is clear that they are one of the basalmost groups of modern placental mammal, but the precise order in which groups diverged is still a matter of great debate and currently three taxonomic models have been proposed:

• The "Exafroplacentalia" model, whereupon the Afrotheria are the basalmost extant group of placental mammals, with all other groups belonging within a clade of this name. Within the Exafroplacentalia, the Xenarthra would be basal to the remaining clades.
• The "Epitheria" model, whereupon the Xenarthra are the basalmost extant group of placental mammals, with all other groups belonging within a clade of this name.
• The "Atlantogenata" model, whereupon the Xenarthra and Afrotheria form a clade of this name, basal to all other groups.

However, whichever of these models is the closest to the truth, one thing is now unquestioned - the Xenarthra is a monophyletic clade containing the armadillos, sloths and anteaters within two distinct orders.

 

XENARTHRA



This clade comprises two extant orders, both of which will be considered within this thread:


CINGULATA

DASYPODIDAE - Long-nosed Armadillos (1 genus, 7 species)

CHLAMYPHORIDAE - Chlamyphorid Armadillos (8 genera, 13 species)


PILOSA

MYRMECOPHAGIDAE - Anteaters (2 genera, 3 species)

CYCLOPEDIDAE - Silky Anteaters (1 genus, 7 species)

MEGALONYCHIDAE - Two-toed Sloths (1 genus, 2 species)

BRADYPODIDAE - Three-toed Sloths (1 genus, 4 species)



FERAE



This clade comprises two extant orders, of which one will be considered within this thread:


CARNIVORA

(Not covered in this thread)


PHOLIDOTA

MANIDAE - Pangolins (3 genera, 8 species)
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DASYPODIDAE


This family comprises 7 species within a single genus, as follows:

Dasypus - Long-nosed Armadillos (7 species)
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Dasypus


Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

The range of this species extends from central and southeastern USA, through Mexico and Central America into northwest Colombia, and from here throughout South America to as far south as southwest Peru west of the Andes, and as far south as southeast Brazil, Uruguay and east-central Argentina east of the Andes.

Six subspecies are currently recognised; however, genetic studies suggest only four distinct clades and as such this needs further assessment:

D. n. novemcinctus - photo by @Giant Eland



D. n. aequatorialis
D. n. davisi
D. n. fenestratus
D. n. mexianae
D. n. mexicanus - photo by @Ituri




Northern Long-nosed Armadillo (Dasypus sabanicola)

The range of this species extends throughout the Llanos of northeastern Colombia and northern Venezuela.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Greater Long-nosed Armadillo (Dasypus kappleri)

The range of this species extends throughout the Amazon Basin and adjacent regions of northern and central South America east of the Andes, and north into the Guianas.

Three subspecies are currently recognised:

D. k. kappleri
D. k. beniensis
D. k. pastasae

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Brazilian Long-nosed Armadillo (Dasypus septemcinctus)

The range of this species extends throughout much of the southern Amazon Basin, and into southeast Brazil in the south, and west into Paraguay and eastern Bolivia; possibly present in northern Argentina.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Hairy Long-nosed Armadillo (Dasypus pilosus)

The range of this species is restricted to a narrow stretch of the eastern slope of the Peruvian Andes.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Yungas Long-nosed Armadillo (Dasypus mazzai)

The range of this species is restricted to a small patch of Yungas forest in Jujay and Salta provinces of northwest Argentina.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Southern Long-nosed Armadillo (Dasypus hybridus)

The range of this species extends from southeast Paraguay in the north into northern and east-central Argentina, southeast Brazil and Uruguay.

Monotypic.

Photo by @devilfish


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CHLAMYPHORIDAE


This family comprises 13 species within 8 genera, as follows:

Euphractus - Six-banded Armadillo (monotypic)

Chaetophractus - Hairy Armadillos (2 species)

Zaedyus - Pichi (monotypic)

Chlamyphorus - Lesser Fairy Armadillo (monotypic)

Calyptophractus - Greater Fairy Armadillo (monotypic)

Priodontes - Giant Armadillo (monotypic)

Cabassous - Naked-tailed Armadillos (4 species)

Tolypeutes - Three-banded Armadillos (2 species)
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Euphractus


Six-banded Armadillo (Euphractus sexcinctus)

The range of this species extends throughout much of central, eastern and southern Brazil, extending in the north into southern Suriname, and in the south into east-central Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina.

Five subspecies are currently recognised as follows:

E. s. sexcinctus
E. s. boliviae
E. s. flavimanus - photo by @Giant Eland



E. s. setosus - photo by @Glutton



E. s. tucumanus
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Chaetophractus


Screaming Hairy Armadillo (Chaetophractus vellerosus)

The range of this species extends throughout north-central Argentina, and into the Andes of southern Bolivia, northeast Chile and northwest Argentina, and into western Paraguay; a disjunct population exists in a tiny area of coastal eastern Argentina.

Two subspecies are currently recognised; the taxon formerly recognised as C. nationi appears to be synonymous with the nominate race.

C. v. vellerosus - photo by @Giant Eland



C. v. pannosus - photo by @Giant Eland




Large Hairy Armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus)

The range of this species extends from the Chaco of southeast Bolivia, Paraguay and northern Argentina in the north, to southernmost mainland Argentina and adjacent southern Chile.

Monotypic.

Photo by @Tomek


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Zaedyus


Pichi (Zaedyus pichiy)

The range of this species extends throughout the Pampas of southern Argentina and adjacent southeast Chile.

Two subspecies are currently recognised:

Z. p. pichiy
Z. p. caurinus

No photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.
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Chlamyphorus


Lesser Fairy Armadillo (Chlamyphorus truncatus)

The range of this species extends throughout much of central Argentina.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.
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Calyptophractus


Greater Fairy Armadillo (Calyptophractus retusus)

The range of this species is restricted to the Gran Chaco of central and southeast Bolivia, western Paraguay and northernmost Argentina.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.
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Priodontes


Giant Armadillo (Priodontes maximus)

The range of this species extends patchily throughout much of northern and central South America east of the Andes, from Colombia, Venezuela and the Guianas in the north, throughout the central and western Amazon Basin and adjacent regions of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, to Paraguay, northern Argentina and inland southeast Brazil in the south.

Monotypic.

Photo by @Giant Eland


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Cabassous


Northern Naked-tailed Armadillo (Cabassous centralis)

The range of this species extends from southernmost Mexico in the north, throughout Central America to western Colombia, northwest Ecuador and northwest Venezuela in the south.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Southern Naked-tailed Armadillo (Cabassous unicinctus)

The range of this species extends throughout much of northern and central South America east of the Andes, from Colombia, Venezuela and the Guianas in the north, throughout the Amazon Basin and adjacent regions of Brazil, Ecuador and eastern Peru, to northeast Bolivia and eastern Paraguay in the south.

Two subspecies are recognised as follows:

C. u. unicinctus - photo by @Giant Eland



C. u. squamicaudis - photo by @Giant Eland




Greater Naked-tailed Armadillo (Cabassous tatouay)

The range of this species extends throughout much of east-central South America, from northeast Brazil in the north, throughout eastern and central Brazil to eastern Paraguay, extreme northeast Argentina and east-central Uruguay in the south.

Monotypic.

Photo by @Juancho




Chacoan Naked-tailed Armadillo (Cabassous chacoensis)

The range of this species is restricted to the Gran Chaco of western Paraguay and northern Argentina, possibly extending into southeast Bolivia and extreme southwest Brazil.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.
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Tolypeutes


Brazilian Three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus)

The range of this species extends throughout much of northeast Brazil.

Monotypic.

Photo by @Giant Eland




Southern Three-banded Armadillo (Tolypeutes matacus)

The range of this species extends from southwest Brazil and the Gran Chaco of Paraguay and eastern Bolivia throughout much of northern and central Argentina.

Monotypic.

Photo by @Tomek


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MYRMECOPHAGIDAE


This family comprises 3 species within 2 genera, as follows:

Myrmecophaga - Giant Anteater (monotypic)

Tamandua - Tamanduas (2 species)
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Myrmecophaga


Giant Anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla)

The range of this species extends from Honduras in the north, through much of Central America to Colombia and Venezuela, and from here throughout South America east of the Andes to northeast Argentina, southeast Brazil and northern Uruguay.

Three subspecies are recognised:

M. t. tridactyla - photo by @Bubalus



M. t. artata
M. t. centralis
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Tamandua


Northern Tamandua (Tamandua mexicana)

The range of this species extends from southern Mexico in the north, throughout Central America to northern Colombia and northwest Venezuela, and south along the western slope of the Andes to southwest Ecuador and northwest Peru.

Four subspecies are recognised:

T. m. mexicana - photo by @ralph



T. m. instabilis
T. m. opistholeuca
T. m. punensis


Southern Tamandua (Tamandua tetradactyla)

The range of this species extends throughout much of South America east of the Andes, from eastern Colombia, Venezuela and the Guianas in the north to northern Argentina, southeast Brazil and northern Uruguay in the south.

Four subspecies are currently recognised:

T. t. tetradactyla - photo by @Bubalus



T. t. nigra - photo by @Bwassa



T. t. quichua - photo by @devilfish



T. t. straminea - photo by @4ways NAP


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CYCLOPEDIDAE


This family comprises 7 species within a single genus, as follows:

Cyclopes - Silky Anteaters (7 species)
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Cyclopes


Central American Silky Anteater (Cyclopes dorsalis)

The range of this species extends from southern Mexico in the north, throughout Central America to the Pacific coast of Colombia and Ecuador in the south.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Common Silky Anteater (Cyclopes didactylus)

The range of this species extends from eastern Colombia, Venezuela and the Guianas in the north into northern and northeast Brazil in the south.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Rio Negro Silky Anteater (Cyclopes ida)

The range of this species extends throughout the Amazon Basin west and south of the Rio Negro, and north of the Amazon, as far west as northeast Peru and perhaps adjacent southern Colombia.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Thomas' Silky Anteater (Cyclopes thomasi)

The range of this species extends throughout the western Amazon Basin south of the Amazon, as far west as southeast Peru and adjacent northwest Bolivia.

Monotypic.

Photo by @Giant Eland




Red Silky Anteater (Cyclopes rufus)

The range of this species extends throughout the west-central Amazon Basin of central Brazil between the Rio Aripuana and Rio Madeira.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Xingu Silky Anteater (Cyclopes xinguensis)

The range of this species extends throughout the eastern Brazilian Amazon, between the Rio Madeira in the west and Rio Xingu in the east.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.


Amboro Silky Anteater (Cyclopes catellus)

The range of this species is restricted to a small region of the Andean forests of central Bolivia.

Monotypic; no photographs of this species are present in the Zoochat gallery.
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MEGALONYCHIDAE


This family comprises 2 species within a single genus, as follows:

Choloepus - Two-toed Sloths (2 species)
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