The pink fairy armadillo has a unique ability to bury itself in a matter of seconds, using its specialized claws to dig into sandy or loamy soils.

There is a sole record for the longevity of a pink fairy armadillo that was held in captivity more than four years; however, that particular case lacks scientific description.

[7] Armadillos' evolutionary distinctiveness, combined with their restricted geographic range, ongoing threats, and rarity, make conservation extremely urgent for these species.

[clarification needed] The similarities can be explained either by the presence of a shared common ancestry, which would place both species in the same clade (making them monophyletic), or by the result of adaptive convergence due to extreme selective pressures induced by their lifestyle (suggesting them to be diphyletic).

[8] Research conducted in 2009 supported the idea that the three previously identified subfamilies Dasypodinae, Euphractinae, and Tolypeutinae of armadillos, which separated shortly after the Eocene-Oligocene transition, were monophyletic.

If these insects and invertebrates cannot be found, plant leaves and roots make a good secondary dietary option for their underground lifestyle.

[7] Night temperatures in Argentinian plains can get very low, and since the armadillo is nocturnal it needs the fur to conserve heat while it is being active outside its burrow.

[7] The pink fairy armadillo can curl up to protect the vulnerable soft underside, covered with dense white hair.

[12] The armadillo has two massive sets of claws on its front and hind limbs which help it to dig the burrows in compacted soil very quickly.

Along with these unique traits, the pink fairy armadillo has greatly reduced eyes and relies highly on touch and hearing to navigate.

It also has a torpedo-shaped body in order to reduce the amount of drag it may encounter while working in tunnels and a thick, hairless tail that it uses for balance and stability while using its other limbs to dig.

As a subterranean dweller, the armadillo is forced to leave its burrows when heavy storms roll in due to the threat of drowning and the risk of wetting its fur.

Even their underground homes are not completely safe: Fairy armadillos are preyed upon in their burrows by domestic dogs and cats as well as wild boars.

Because they inhabit temperate and warm regions, cold temperatures could wipe out their populations due to their low metabolism rate and inability to store fat.

Field sightings were confirmed to be rare and less common than before, even though the pink fairy armadillo is already difficult to observe due to its nocturnal fossorial lifestyle.

[7] Researchers have found that the pink fairy armadillo is highly subject to stress, making the attempts to apply any conservation policies, including taking it out of its natural environment, extremely difficult and largely unsuccessful.

Any modifications in its environment, external temperature, or diet are known to trigger stress responses, which is considered to be a possible reason for the failure of captivity attempts.