Guillaume Delaitre · CC BY 4.0Giant armadillo
Priodontes maximus · tatu carreta
The world's largest armadillo, a nocturnal digger that almost no one ever gets to see.
What it is
The largest living armadillo species (tatú carreta in Spanish), it has a flexible shell and enormous front claws, which it uses to break open termite mounds and dig burrows that other animals later move into. It is nocturnal, solitary and reproduces very slowly, which is why hunting and forest clearing hit it so hard. In Paraguay it lives in the Chaco, the Pantanal and the eastern forests.
Did you know…?
The Tres Gigantes biological station in the Paraguayan Pantanal is named after three threatened mammals: the giant otter, the giant anteater and the giant armadillo.
Where
Very hard to observe. It is recorded by camera traps in Defensores del Chaco, the Pantanal (Tres Gigantes) and the Mbaracayú Reserve. You're far more likely to come across its burrows.
Researched and reviewed in September 2026 with 3 sources. A second reviewer checked dates, coordinates and lodging. Hours and prices may change.