Giant armadillos have been filmed having sex in the wild for the first time
Although it is instantly recognisable, not much is known about the hardy South American creature's life in the wild as it is a nocturnal animal with very discreet habits. Despite studying the animals since 2010, the Instituto de Conservação de Animais Silvestres’ (ICAS) Giant Armadillo Project had never filmed the animal mating. Until they were given a WhatsApp video showing a pair of armadillos mating. As far as biologists from the organisation know, it is the first recording of this rare moment. The remarkable video has helped the ICAS team prove two hypotheses raised in their studies on the species. The first is that the giant armadillo has one of the largest penises in relation to body size among all terrestrial mammals. Secondly, it is that male and female giant armadillos have very similar body sizes. One of the only exceptions is the size of males’ hind legs, which are always longer. The ICAS team believe this is another adaptation to help the male reach the female at the time of mating.
