FIRST RECORD OF PICHE LLORÓN (Chaetophractus vellerosus) FOR THE SOUTH OF THE SANTA FE PROVINCE, ARGENTINA

Abstract

In this work, we present a new record of piche llorón Chaetophractus vellerosus (Cingulata, Dasypodidae) for the south of the Santa Fe province. At present, the existing records for this type of armadillo included a fossil record and three current records for the north of the province, with no data for the southern region. In June 2018, using Tomahawk-type traps, two specimens (male and female) were captured in two field plots of the Estancia 'Santa Marta', located about 3 km south of Christophersen. There are two disjunct populations in Argentina, one located to the north-center of the country and another to the east of the Pampas region. This is the first record of this species for the Pampas region of the Santa Fe. Although it matches with the predictions of the proposed distribution area, could slightly extend the distribution of the population of the north-center. The few records of this species for the Santa Fe province show the urgent needs for fieldworks that study the local fauna in a province where more than 80% of natural environments have been lost and transformed into agricultural fields.