A small armadillo of dry southern South America that digs burrows and feeds mainly on insects.
The carapace ranges from light yellow to almost black and is divided by six to eight movable bands. The marginal scutes have sharply pointed tips, and a pale stripe may run along the back. The ears are short, and the head and tail are also covered with scutes.
It is mainly solitary and diurnal, digging burrows for shelter and temperature regulation. Most burrows have one entrance, are unbranched, extend for several metres, and end in a chamber without nesting material; some reach 1.5 m deep in winter. It is an opportunistic omnivore that prefers insects but also eats plants, fungi, and small animals. It hibernates in winter.
An extinction-risk assessment has not been added yet.