Species was chosen by FIFA as the world symbol held in Brazil.
This species of animal only exists in Brazil. The armadillo ball is rolled into a ball to protect themselves.
Choosing ball Armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus) by FIFA as mascot World Cup 2014, which will take place in Brazil, the country cheered environmentalists, who see it as an opportunity to disseminate information about the species and warn of the risk of extinction. The images of the mascot have been posted on the website of European patents, where the design was registered by the highest body of football in the world.
The proposal to have the little animal - it can measure up to 50 centimeters - as a symbol of mega sports events was submitted to FIFA by the non-governmental organization Association Caatinga, headquartered in Piauí.
According to Rodrigo Castro, executive secretary of the NGO, the adoption of the ball armadillo (Tolypeutes tricinctus), an animal "authentically Brazilian" as mascot would be a way to disseminate information about the little-known species and at great risk of disappearing from the wild.
Alert
According to the Ministry of Environment, the species is part of the national list of species of Brazilian fauna threatened with extinction.
The environmental organization International Union for Conservation of Nature considers the armadillo ball (Tolypeutes tricinctus) as "vulnerable" in nature.
However, soon there will be a reclassification to "critically endangered", according to Castro, who explained that this name would be a yellow sign before a probable collapse of the species.
Its population is spread over nine states, Caatinga and Cerrado, losing vast areas of vegetation due to urban sprawl, forest fires and charcoal production - largely underground.
According to latest information from the federal government, the Cerrado has lost 48.5% of its original forest cover, while the Caatinga has preserved only 54% of native forest. "Historically, hunting was the major villain of the three-banded armadillo, but urbanization and increased agricultural activities have affected their habitat," said Castro.
Ball as a defense
The relationship of this species of armadillo with soccer ball is the format that gets to defend themselves from predators. Noting the presence of ounces or foxes, her body writhes and animal hides fragile parts like the trunk, head and paws inside a hard shell - that closes and is shaped ball.
"He can stay in this position defense for more than an hour, until the danger passes," explains biologist. But the instinct to defend the armadillo ball (Tolypeutes tricinctus) lets fragile for hunters who still seek specimens in the Northeast and Midwest regions of the country for consumption.
With aloof behavior, the armadillo ball is different from other species of armadillo because they dig holes, getting vulnerable to human. "He can not hide," said Anderson Feijó, mammals expert Northeastern master in zoology at the Federal University of Paraíba.
Environmental legacy
Blog We have created a project to preserve the species.
The plan would fund research that would define the amount of animals in the country and natural areas they inhabit. The project, which would be divided into stages and would last for 12 years, still strengthen protected areas in the Caatinga and Cerrado, avoiding any form of degradation in the future.
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