Cabassous tatouay
greater naked-tailed armadillo

Cabassous tatouay is found in Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay and Argentina. (Eisenberg and Redford, 1999; Grzimek, 2003; Nixon, 2004)

Cabassous tatouay mainly inhabits temperate forests, but can be found in a variety of different environments including along rivers and in grassland communities. They tolerate second-growth habitats, but cannot survive in agricultural areas. (Carter and Encarnacao, 1983; da Fonseca and Rylands, 2004; Grzimek, 2003; Linares, 1998; Nixon, 2004)

Greater naked-tailed armadillos appear very similar to giant armadillos except for their smaller size and lack of armor on their tails (which range from 90 to 200mm in length). Cabassous tatouay can be distinguised from C. unicinctus by its larger size, and because C. tatouay has a larger, funnel-shaped ear that continues past the head. Both the snout and the head are short and somewhat broad, and their dentition formula is 9/8. Each forefoot has five large claws; the largest claw appears on the third digit.

The armor of greater naked-tailed armadillos is dark brown or black with yellow edges, their undersides are grayish. There can be anywhere from 10 to 13 moveable bands of armor on the back. The bodies of greater naked-tailed armadillos are covered with sparse, coarse hair. Their core body temperature ranges from 32 to 34 degrees C and the basal metabolic rate of the related species C. centralis is 4.8170 W

Cabassous tatouay skulls have a narrow mandible, with the height of the condyloid process greater than the coronoid process. The teeth of C. tatouay are peg-like, and members of this species posses tympanic rings rather than bullae.

The feces of C. tatouay are pelleted and composed of insect remains and soil. (Eisenberg and Redford, 1999; Grzimek, 2003; Nixon, 2004; Weigl, 2005; Wetzel, 1980)

No information could be found on the lifespan of C. tatouay, however, a specimen of the closely related C. unicinctus lived seven and a half years in captivity and a C. centralis specimen lived eight years in captivity. (Weigl, 2005)

Greater naked-tailed armadillos are nocturnal foragers, though they have been known to continue to forage until dawn. They are extensively fossorial, using the powerful claw on their third digits to dig holes into termite mounds. Greater naked-tailed armadillos can completely bury themselves while digging for prey.

When pursued C. tatouay runs rapidly, and, during locomotion, walks on the claws of the forefeet and the soles of their hindfeet. Their most frequent means of avoiding predators, however, is burrowing completely into the ground (which they can do in a matter of minutes). Greater naked-tailed armadillos have also been observed entering water to escape pursuit. (Grzimek, 2003; Nixon, 2004)

Greater naked-tailed armadillos sleep in burrows, though the burrows are sequentially occupied by many different individuals; each armadillo spends only one night in a burrow and never returns. Their burrows are generally oblong, such that the width of the opening is larger than the height, and their average slope is 47.7 degrees. Burrows are most often dug in open ground or close to the base of an embankment and often have a strong, musky odor. (Carter and Encarnacao, 1983; da Fonseca and Rylands, 2004; Grzimek, 2003; Linares, 1998; Nixon, 2004)

Home Range

No information is currently available on the home range or territory size of C. tatouay.

When handled, male C. tatouay make a grunting sound similar to that of a pig, but females are generally silent.

Greater naked-tailed armadillos have a well developed sense of smell, which they use as their primary way of locating prey hidden in the soil or leaf litter. (Cuellar and Noss, 2003; Grzimek, 2003; Nixon, 2004)

Greater naked-tailed armadillos are mostly myrmecophagous, eating primarily ants and termites. They use their large claws on the third digit to dig holes into insect mounds or rotting stumps, then use their long, sticky tongues to remove prey from their tunnels. While feeding on ants and termites, C. tatouay may also injest incidental invertebrates found during foraging and soil. (Eisenberg and Redford, 1999; Grzimek, 2003; Nixon, 2004)

Humans are the most frequent predators of greater naked-tailed armadillos. Their most common anti-predator behavior is burrowing underground to hide from pursuit, which they do using the large claws on their third digits and by rotating their carapace back and forth. (da Fonseca and Rylands, 2004; Grzimek, 2003)

Cabassous tatouay has an impact on the soil of its habitat due to its extensive burrowing and churning of soil. It is an insectivore and may affect termite and ant density. (da Fonseca and Rylands, 2004)

Cabassous tatouay is often hunted in agricultural areas due to the damage caused by its excessive burrowing, which can disrupt crops. (da Fonseca and Rylands, 2004)

Cabassous tatouay is sometimes hunted and eaten. (da Fonseca and Rylands, 2004)

The main threats to greater naked-tailed armadillos are habitat destruction and fires, as well as persecution because of their negative effects on agriculture. These armadillos have been driven to extinction in a number of areas. No conservation efforts, however, are currently in place for greater naked-tailed armadillos.