Chaetophractus villosus
Silhouette: Celeste Luna · PhyloPic
In 3 days >90%
The big (or large) hairy armadillo (Chaetophractus villosus) is one of the largest and most numerous armadillos in South America. It lives from sea level to altitudes of up to 1,300 meters across the southern portion of South America, and can be found in grasslands, forests, and savannahs, and has even started claiming agricultural areas as its home. It is an accomplished digger and spends most of its time below ground. It makes both temporary and long-term burrows, depending on its food source. In Spanish it is colloquially known as peludo.
Armadillos are protected from predators by a series of thin, bony plates along the head and back. They reach sexual maturity at around 9 months and have been known to live over 30 years in captivity. Though this animal is routinely harvested for its meat and its shell, or simply killed by farmers, it has shown resiliency, and populations seem to be handling this exploitation well. Currently, no protective practices are in place for this armadillo, but it does live in many protected areas. This species of armadillo is a preferred research animal due to its adaptability to laboratory settings, and relative hardiness in situations of stress.
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| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Península Valdés | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Torres del Paine National Park | 🇨🇱 Chile |
| # | Zoo / Centre | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Moscow Zoo | 🇷🇺 Russia | |
| 2 | National Zoological Park | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 3 | ZooParc de Beauval | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 4 | Columbus Zoo and Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 5 | Tallinn Zoo | 🇪🇪 Estonia | |
| 6 | Parco Natura Viva | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 7 | Edinburgh Zoo | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 8 | Lisbon Zoo | 🇵🇹 Portugal | |
| 9 | Parken Zoo | 🇸🇪 Sweden | |
| 10 | Budapest Zoo & Botanical Garden | 🇭🇺 Hungary | |
| 11 | Faunia | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 12 | bioparco | 🇮🇹 Italy | |
| 13 | Aquazoo Friesland | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | |
| 14 | Ménagerie du Jardin des Plantes | 🇫🇷 France | |
| 15 | Zoologico Mundo Andino - Tipon | 🇵🇪 Peru | |
| 16 | Bioparc Fuengirola | 🇪🇸 Spain | |
| 17 | Munkholm Zoo | 🇩🇰 Denmark | |
| 18 | Adventure Aquarium | 🇺🇸 United States | |
| 19 | Lakeland Wildlife Oasis | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | |
| 20 | Familiepark Harry Malter | 🇧🇪 Belgium |
No species of the same family or order lives in Península Valdés, so these are its closest relatives here: other mammals.
Very likely
About 80% of wildlife watchers report a Large Hairy Armadillo sighting in Península Valdés on a given day, based on 146 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 12 mammals we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December to March
In those months about 90% of wildlife watchers report a Large Hairy Armadillo in Península Valdés on a given day, against about 20% in July, the lowest month.
Between 2 and 5 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Large Hairy Armadillo sightings with a recorded time, and about 7 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Yes
Of the 2 parks where we can rate Large Hairy Armadillo sightings, Península Valdés has the highest daily chance: about 80%. Next come Torres del Paine National Park (Chile, about 20%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Large Hairy Armadillo is recorded against all the mammals logged in Península Valdés (146 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
