Details
Tolypeutes matacus
Southern three-banded armadillo is a mammal associated with savannas and grasslands. It is omnivorous and usually solitary. Decline or fragmentation makes continued monitoring important.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
Its range is represented here by the Neotropics, where it uses savannas and grasslands. Mobile species may shift habitat use with season, breeding sites, or food availability.
Typical length 22-27 cm, weight 1 kg-1.6 kg. It has a small agile rodent-like build, with proportions shaped by its habitat and mode of movement.
It is mostly active at night and usually solitary. Spacing, group size, and visibility can change with season, feeding conditions, and breeding activity.
It is omnivorous. Food choice and foraging style are tied to life in savannas and grasslands, so movements often follow available food resources.
As a mammal, it gives birth to live young, and the mother nurses them in cover or within the social group.
Recorded scientifically as Tolypeutes matacus. Decline or fragmentation makes continued monitoring important. In this guide, size, habitat, and activity pattern are useful first clues for recognition.
