Museum Campus parking availability and cost, as well as traffic, will be impacted by an event at Soldier Field. Learn more.
Open 9 am - 6 pm
An armadillo, its scaly body covered in long whiskery hairs, scampers across a white background.

Six-banded armadillo

Euphractus sexcinctus
Currently not on view
Diet Small invertebrates, insects, ants, carrion, fruits and tubers
Size 16-20 inches long; weighs 7-14 pounds
Type Mammals
Range South America in Brazil, northeast Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay and northern Argentina
Habitat Savannas, shrublands and forests

About the Six-banded armadillo

The six-banded armadillos at Shedd, Rough and Elliott, are ambassadors for their species.

Did you know?

  1. Six-banded armadillos are excellent diggers. They use their front claws to dig burrows to live in and search for prey.

  2. Armadillos have poor eyesight, so they rely on their sense of smell to detect predators and prey.


IUCN Red List Conservation Status

Association of Zoos & Aquariums Species Survival Plan®

This species is part of a program to support healthy, genetically diverse animal populations.