106 NORTH AMERICAN FAUNA 75 



Family Dasypodidae 



Cabassous centralis 

 Central American Five-toed Armadillo, Armadillo Zopilote 



Central American five-toed armadillos are found from southeastern Guatemala 

 to northwestern Venezuela (Fig. 82). In Costa Rica, they are found from sea level 

 to 1,800 m. Cabassous centralis is a monotypic species (Wetzel 1980). 



In March 1986 we observed Central American five-toed armadillos in Parque 

 Nacional Braulio Carrillo at about 200 m. Cabassous centralis has been observed 

 at La Selva on only three occasions: 1973, August 1983, and December 1984. 



Nine-banded armadillos are the most widely distributed xenarthrans, occur- 

 ring from the southeastern United States to southeastern Brazil and northeastern 

 Argentina (Wetzel 1982; Fig. 83). The subspecies Dasypus novemcinctus fenestratus 

 is found throughout Costa Rica, except at higher elevations. 



Armadillos have been noted at La Selva on many occasions . They have become 

 so abundant in recent years that they can be seen nearly every evening. An adult 

 female and her litter of four half-grown young were sighted by us on several occa- 

 sions in August 1988. One armadillo was observed by us in March 1986 at 200 m. 

 Pringle et al. (1984) reported sighting an armadillo along the trail east of the 

 Quebrada Cantarrana base camp in January 1983. 



The biology and distribution of Dasypus novemcinctus recently was reviewed 

 by McBee and Baker (1982) and Wetzel (1983, 1985). 



Specimen examined (1)— 4 mi N of Barva, Hwy. 9 [1 male, LACM]. 



Fig. 82. Central 



sous centralis. 

 Photo by R. K. 

 LaVal 



American five-toed 

 armadillo, Cabas- 



Dasypus novemcinctus 

 Nine-banded Armadillo, Cusuco 



