Name: __________________________________
The Pink Fairy Armadillo
By Lydia Lukidis
Here’s a riddle for you: which
animal is tiny, with a pink shell and fluffy
white fur underneath? You may have a
hard time guessing this one! This animal is
not so common. It is also a little strange.
Actually, you may have never even heard
of it. It’s a pink fairy armadillo!
So what makes this little critter so
unique? First of all, it has a funny name
and it’s the color pink. It also has a really
long tail that acts like a fifth leg. A pink fairy armadillo's tail makes the animal more stable
while it digs. Its shell is also special because it acts like a heater. The shell pumps blood in
and out of it. That way, the animal can raise or lower its body temperature. That’s pretty
cool! In fact, the reason the armadillo's shell is pink is from all the blood going in and out.
Usually, an armadillo's shell is attached to its body. However, a pink fairy armadillo's
shell is not fully attached to its body. Instead, the shell is connected to a membrane that
runs along the spine.
The pink fairy armadillo is the smallest kind of armadillo. This armadillo's entire body is
only about 5 inches long, and it weighs less than a pound. Even though it is so small, a pink
fairy armadillo has gigantic claws. In fact, its claws are so big, it has trouble walking on hard
surfaces like rock. These claws help the armadillo dig into the earth for food. This animal
can dig very quickly. If it feels threatened, it will bury itself in the earth in just a few seconds.
As for food, the pink fairy armadillo loves to chomp on ants. That is its favorite meal. It
also eats worms and other creepy crawlers. Sometimes it will even eat plants and roots.
Super Teacher Worksheets - www.superteacherworksheets.com
Photo by: Mariella Superina
If you want to see a pink fairy armadillo, it
may not be that easy. First of all, they only live in
Argentina. They prefer to live on the sandy
plains or in the dry grass. Second of all, they
rarely come out in public. They mostly stay
hidden from view. Some scientists spend years
studying them yet may have never actually
seen a pink fairy armadillo in the wild! It is
difficult to say whether the pink fairy armadillos
are endangered because scientists don't have
enough data on them. Their populations may be healthy, or they could be disappearing.
We just don't know. Sometimes, pink fairy armadillos get eaten by other wild animals, so
they keep out of sight much of the time.
Our world is an amazing place! There are so many special animals on the planet that
we don’t see every day. I bet today you learned about an animal you never knew about.
About the Author
Lydia Lukidis is a published children's author with a multi-
disciplinary background that spans the fields of literature, theater,
and puppetry. Lydia's picture book, Gerbs in the House: The Dilly
Dally Bedtime Routine, is now available. Find out if Mocha will
ever get his silly son to sleep!
Lukidis, Lydia. Gerbs in the House: The Dilly Dally Bedtime Routine ISBN: 978-0-9917402-7-7
Super Teacher Worksheets - www.superteacherworksheets.com
Photo by: Guillermo Ferraris
Name: __________________________________
The Pink Fairy Armadillo
By Lydia Lukidis
1. How does a pink fairy armadillo get its color?
a. The pink color results from the armadillo's diet of
pink plants, such as flowers.
b. The pink color comes from the blood pumping in and out of the armadillo's shell.
c. The pink color arises when the armadillo is threatened, angered, or scared.
d. The pink color comes from the armadillo's shiny body and shell reflecting
sunlight.
2. In the box below, circle the object that most closely matches the pink fairy armadillo
in length.
baseball bat fork scarf canoe
broomstick paperclip ruler chalkboard
3. According to the information you read in the article, describe one advantage and
one disadvantage of a pink fairy armadillo's giant claws.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4. Put a check mark ( ) next to each reason why it is difficult to see a pink fairy
armadillo in the wild.
Pink fairy armadillos only come out at night.
Pink fairy armadillos hide from other animals that may eat them.
Pink fairy armadillos are endangered.
Pink fairy armadillos mostly stay hidden from view.
Super Teacher Worksheets - www.superteacherworksheets.com
Name: __________________________________
The Pink Fairy Armadillo
By Lydia Lukidis
Match each vocabulary word from the article with the correct
definition.
_______ 1. endangered a. a thin structure in a living organism
that acts as a boundary or barrier
_______ 2. plains b. very large; enormous
_______ 3. stable c. set apart; different; special
_______ 4. membrane d. at risk of becoming extinct
_______ 5. chomp e. intimidated; scared
_______ 6. gigantic f. steady, balanced
_______ 7. critter g. puzzle; question to solve
_______ 8. threatened h. munch or chew food
_______ 9. unique i. wide expanses of flat land
_______ 10. riddle j. creature; small animal
Super Teacher Worksheets - www.superteacherworksheets.com
Name: __________________________________
The Pink Fairy Armadillo
By Lydia Lukidis
In the article, “The Pink Fairy Armadillo,” you learned that
scientists have a difficult time studying this unique animal
because of how rare it is and how difficult they are to find.
On the lines below, describe another animal that is difficult for scientists to study. In your
writing, discuss why that animal is difficult for scientists to research.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Super Teacher Worksheets - www.superteacherworksheets.com
ANSWER KEY
The Pink Fairy Armadillo
By Lydia Lukidis
1. How does a pink fairy armadillo get its color? b.
a. The pink color results from the armadillo's diet of
pink plants, such as flowers.
b. The pink color comes from the blood pumping in and out of the armadillo's shell.
c. The pink color arises when the armadillo is threatened, angered, or scared.
d. The pink color comes from the armadillo's shiny body and shell reflecting
sunlight.
2. In the box below, circle the object that most closely matches the pink fairy armadillo
in length.
baseball bat fork scarf canoe
broomstick paperclip ruler chalkboard
3. According to the information you read in the article, describe one advantage and
one disadvantage of a pink fairy armadillo's giant claws.
One advantage is the claws help the armadillo to dig very quickly.
One disadvantage is the claws make it hard for the armadillo to move around
on hard surfaces.
4. Put a check mark ( ) next to each reason why it is difficult to see a pink fairy
armadillo in the wild.
Pink fairy armadillos only come out at night.
Pink fairy armadillos hide from other animals that may eat them.
Pink fairy armadillos are endangered.
Pink fairy armadillos mostly stay hidden from view.
Super Teacher Worksheets - www.superteacherworksheets.com
ANSWER KEY
The Pink Fairy Armadillo
By Lydia Lukidis
Match each vocabulary word from the article with the correct
definition.
d. 1. endangered a. a thin structure in a living organism
that acts as a boundary or barrier
i. 2. plains b. very large; enormous
f. 3. stable c. set apart; different; special
a. 4. membrane d. at risk of becoming extinct
h. 5. chomp e. intimidated; scared
b. 6. gigantic f. steady, balanced
j. 7. critter g. puzzle; question to solve
e. 8. threatened h. munch or chew food
c. 9. unique i. wide expanses of flat land
g. 10. riddle j. creature; small animal
LD
Super Teacher Worksheets - www.superteacherworksheets.com