Its name points to its most eye-catching feature—its tail has only tiny scales instead of the heavier, obvious armor plates most armadillos wear, so it can look oddly “bare” next to the rest of its shell. It also has large, upright ears, a compact body, and a dark, rounded back covered in tidy, squarish plates. While many armadillos seem like clunky wanderers out in the open, this one gives off more of a “subterranean specialist” vibe: low to the ground, built to squeeze into tight spaces, and ready to vanish the moment it feels unsafe.
Its body is packed with digging power. The armor on its back is divided into several flexible bands that let it bend and wriggle through narrow tunnels while remaining protected. The real tools, though, are its front feet—especially the strong claws, which act like sturdy shovels for breaking into soil and insect nests. Instead of rolling into a tight ball (a trick only a few armadillo species can really do), the southern naked-tailed armadillo usually relies on a simpler plan: dig, dive, and disappear. It spends an impressive amount of its life underground, using burrows as shelter from predators and as natural “air-conditioning” against heat during the day and cooler temperatures at night.
Some armadillos are regularly seen foraging across open ground, but this one can live in an area for a long time without being noticed because so much of its routine happens below the surface or during quiet hours. It is especially tied to finding ants and termites, tracking them by smell, and then breaking into their nests with its claws. That focus shapes its behavior: it moves with purpose, pauses often to sniff, and when it finds a promising spot, it commits—digging decisively rather than wandering widely. In places where food appears and disappears with the seasons, this kind of specialized hunting can be a big advantage, allowing it to exploit prey that’s protected underground.
Distribution
Bolivia
Brazil
Colombia
Ecuador
French Guiana
Guyana
Peru
Suriname
VenezuelaAnything we've missed?
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Terrestrial / Aquatic
Altricial / Precocial
Polygamous / Monogamous
Dimorphic (size) / Monomorphic
Active: Diurnal / Nocturnal
Social behavior: Solitary / Pack / Herd
Diet: Carnivore / Herbivore / Omnivore / Piscivorous / Insectivore
Migratory: Yes / No
Domesticated: Yes / No
Dangerous: Yes / No
