It is a solitary, nocturnal, terrestrial animal that feeds on arthropods and other invertebrates, usually living in the vicinity of streams and swamps.

A distinguishing characteristic of this species is the transverse rows of large projecting scales on the hind side of the rear legs.

Its range includes Guyana, Surinam, French Guiana, Colombia to the east of the Andes, Venezuela to the south of the Orinoco River, and the Amazon Basin of Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and northeastern Bolivia.

However, the Matsés people, an indigenous tribe from the upper Amazon basin, were able to tell researchers a great deal about the animals.

The burrow has a single entrance, a pungent, leaf-lined sleeping chamber and a long retreat tunnel, often sloppy with a little water.

When it is fully dark it rushes out of the burrow and sets off along one of its paths; these run along hill tops and across foraging areas.

The armadillo stops at intervals to hunt around for beetles and their larvae, millipedes and centipedes, digging in soft ground for earthworms, and also consuming fallen fruit.

When it crosses streams, the armadillo may be seized by a black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) or an anaconda (Eunectes murinus).

In the Llanos region of Colombia, the organisation Fundación Omacha is undertaking an education and awareness campaign among local people featuring this species.