Chaetophractus
| Chaetophractus | |
|---|---|
| Big hairy armadillo (C. villosus) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Cingulata |
| Family: | Chlamyphoridae |
| Subfamily: | Euphractinae |
| Genus: | Chaetophractus Fitzinger, 1871 |
| Type species | |
| Dasypus villosus Desmarest, 1804
| |
| Species | |
Chaetophractus is a small genus of armadillos in the family Chlamyphoridae. It contains the following three species:
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chaetophractus vellerosus | Screaming hairy armadillo | Central and southern parts of South America | |
| Chaetophractus villosus | Big hairy armadillo | The Pampas and Patagonia as far south as Santa Cruz, Argentina and Magallanes, Chile | |
| Chaetophractus nationi | Andean hairy armadillo | Bolivia, in the region of the Puna; the departments of Oruro, La Paz, and Cochabamba, Bolivia and northern Chile |
Members of the genus are endemic to the continent of South America. They are found in the central and southern countries such as Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Paraguay.
Chaetophractus vellerosus typically digs burrows in area of native woodlands and calcareous soils. These burrows vary in direction or depth, and individuals do not use to the same burrow once they leave it.
Chaetophractus nationi is probably a junior synonym of Chaetophractus vellerosus and the genus Chatophractus may be paraphyletic.