It lived during the Late Miocene, and its fossilized remains were discovered in South America.

This animal, like all glyptodonts, had a carapace formed by numerous osteoderms fused together, protecting most of its body.

Osteoderms from the dorsal carapace and the mobile rings of the tail show very numerous peripheral figures, among which were large perforations.

The genus Coscinocercus was first described in 1939 by Cabrera, based on fossil remains found in the Argentine pampa, in Late Miocene terrains.

Two species were attributed to this genus, Coscinocercus marcalaini and C. brachyurus, mainly distinguished by specificities of the carapace, that might only be intraspecific variations.