Cabassous – Naked-tailed armadillos

Found across much of Central and South America, from Central America down to northern Argentina, these armadillos belong to the genus Cabassous and are named for their bare, scaly tails—unlike most other armadillos that have tails covered in fur or protective armor. Their strange look, underground lifestyle, and elusive habits make them among the least-studied armadillos, yet they play an important role in the ecosystems they inhabit.

Physically, naked-tailed armadillos are medium-sized, generally smaller than the well-known nine-banded armadillo, with compact bodies covered in flexible armor plates. Their most distinctive feature is their tail, which lacks the hairy covering seen in other species and instead appears almost reptilian, with exposed scales. Their claws are also especially noteworthy—large, strong, and perfectly adapted for digging.

Cabassous are burrow specialists. They spend much of their lives underground, excavating long tunnels in forests, savannas, and even farmland. Their digging is so effective that their burrows shelter many other abandoned animals, making them ecosystem engineers. Their diet is primarily insectivorous, with a strong preference for ants and termites, which they sniff out and tear open with their claws. By consuming large quantities of insects and recycling soil, they help control pest populations and enrich their environments, even though humans rarely notice their contributions.

What makes naked-tailed armadillos especially fascinating is how little we know about them. They are shy and nocturnal, rarely seen above ground, and often only detected by the signs of their burrows. This has made it difficult for them to study, and so many details about their social behavior, reproduction, and even population numbers remain a mystery. Conservationists worry that habitat destruction, road accidents, and hunting may threaten them more than we realize, simply because their secretive habits keep their declines hidden.