One of the Giants of Eldorado, the Giant Armadillo (Priodontes maximus) is the largest of the armadillos, and weighing in at 26 kg (approximately 57 lbs), is truly deserving of its name.
This neotropic giant ranges from north of Brazil, Paraguay, southern Venezuela, the Guianas and the extreme north of Argentina, but regardless of their large range, they are rare in number. In Guyana they inhabit savannah and rainforest and have a preference for watery areas, forest islands, bushlands and woodlands. They are generally rare in their range and their habits and low population make them difficult to see. Both photographs for this article were taken with camera traps, one in the Iwokrama Forest and the other in the Kanuku Mountain Range.
The body of the Giant Armadillo is armoured with bony scales which are dark brown in colour for the most part; the armour is joined by flexible bands of tough skin; about 11-14 at the back and about 3 to the front.