Uploaded November 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Three-banded armadillos can be found in eastern Bolivia, southwestern Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. Armadillos are the only mammals covered by a shell. But it’s different from a seashell or a tortoise shell. An armadillo’s shell is made up of bony plates covered by thick, hard skin.
The “armor” isn’t the only protection this armadillo has from predators. When a frightened three-banded armadillo curls up into a ball, it often leaves a space open. If a predator puts a paw or nose into that space to try to pry the armadillo open, the little animal slams its shell shut—ouch!
A three-banded armadillo uses its long, sharp front claws to dig into termite mounds to feast on the insects inside. It also uses them to break open tree bark to snack on beetle larvae hiding inside. Those claws are terrific tools!
What They Eat
The southern three-banded armadillo eats mainly beetle larvae, ants and termites that it gets by probing in the ground, under bark and into nests. It uses its sticky, strap-like tongue to grab a meal.
Where They Live
This armadillo is found in grasslands and marshes in South America, including Bolivia, southwestern Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.
What They Do
This is one of only two armadillo species that can completely enclose itself by rolling into a sphere; the other species is the closely-related Brazilian three-banded armadillo. The sides of the two large shells are free from the skin allowing room for the head, legs, and tail to fit inside when the animal rolls up into a ball. Usually it leaves a small space between a section of its armor, which it forcefully closes on the hand, finger or paw of a would-be predator.
How They’re Doing
Due to habitat loss and hunting, populations of southern three-banded armadillos are in decline. They are listed as “near threatened” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
Three-banded armadillos can be found in eastern Bolivia, southwestern Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. Armadillos are the only mammals covered by a shell. But it’s different from a seashell or a tortoise shell. An armadillo’s shell is made up of bony plates covered by thick, hard skin.
The “armor” isn’t the only protection this armadillo has from predators. When a frightened three-banded armadillo curls up into a ball, it often leaves a space open. If a predator puts a paw or nose into that space to try to pry the armadillo open, the little animal slams its shell shut—ouch!
A three-banded armadillo uses its long, sharp front claws to dig into termite mounds to feast on the insects inside. It also uses them to break open tree bark to snack on beetle larvae hiding inside. Those claws are terrific tools!
What They Eat
The southern three-banded armadillo eats mainly beetle larvae, ants and termites that it gets by probing in the ground, under bark and into nests. It uses its sticky, strap-like tongue to grab a meal.
Where They Live
This armadillo is found in grasslands and marshes in South America, including Bolivia, southwestern Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina.
What They Do
This is one of only two armadillo species that can completely enclose itself by rolling into a sphere; the other species is the closely-related Brazilian three-banded armadillo. The sides of the two large shells are free from the skin allowing room for the head, legs, and tail to fit inside when the animal rolls up into a ball. Usually it leaves a small space between a section of its armor, which it forcefully closes on the hand, finger or paw of a would-be predator.
How They’re Doing
Due to habitat loss and hunting, populations of southern three-banded armadillos are in decline. They are listed as “near threatened” by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.
