One of the most unusual-looking armadillos in South America, built less like a “walking tank” and more like a specialized underground tool. It lives in the Gran Chaco region—hot, dry, and often dusty—and it looks perfectly designed for that world. Its most obvious giveaway is right in the name: the tail has very little armor and can look bare and leathery compared with the rest of the body. That “naked” tail, paired with a compact body and a long, narrow snout, gives it a distinctly different silhouette from the better-known armadillos that seem fully plated from nose to tail.

While many armadillos can dig, the Chacoan naked-tailed armadillo is especially tuned for it: it spends a lot of time below the surface, using burrows for safety and for staying comfortable when the Chaco’s temperatures swing from scorching days to cooler nights. Its armor is still protective, but it isn’t trying to be a rolling ball or a sprinter. Instead, its best trick is to “go underground” fast, turning the soil into a shield. If threatened, it may dive into a tunnel or wedge itself in a tight space where its sturdy shell and low profile make it hard to pull out.

Among armadillos, it also stands out for its food preferences and the shape of its head and snout. This species is strongly linked to hunting ants and termites, using its sense of smell to locate them and its claws to rip into their hiding places. The long snout helps it probe into narrow openings, and once it finds a nest, it can make short work of it. Compared with armadillos that have more varied diets, this one is closer to a dedicated “insect hunter,” which influences everything from where it travels to how it spends its time. It’s also generally more secretive than many armadillos people see crossing roads or foraging in open areas—because much of its routine happens at night and underground, it can be present in an area without being noticed for a long time.

Distribution

Country

Population est.

Status

Year

Comments

Argentina

2024

Presence Uncertain: Tucumán

Paraguay

2024