The greater long-nosed armadillo (Dasypus kappleri) is a South American species of armadillo found in Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Peru, Bolivia and Brazil. It is a solitary, nocturnal, terrestrial animal that feeds on arthropods and other invertebrates, usually living in the vicinity of streams and swamps. One of the larger species of armadillo, it measures in total length and generally weighing , though it can reach as much as . Spurs on its hind legs allow it to crawl on its knees into narrow tunnels. Subspecies Two subspecies are recognised; D. k. kappleri Krauss, 1862, from southeastern Colombia, southern Venezuela, The Guianas and the lower part of the Amazon Basin in Brazil; D. k. pastasae Thomas, 1901, from eastern Ecuador, eastern Peru, northeastern Bolivia and the upper part of the Amazon basin in Brazil. Description The greater long-nose armadillo is the largest armadillo in its genus. Its head-and-body length is between and its tail between , with a weight usually varying between . Like other armadillos, the forequarters and the hindquarters are each protected by an armoured shield, and in this species, there are seven or eight ossified rings between the two. A distinguishing characteristic of this species is the transverse rows of large projecting scales on the hind side of the rear legs. Distribution and habitat This armadillo is native to tropical northeastern South America. 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. It is a mammal of humid lowland forest in the basins of the Orinoco and Amazon. It also occurs in patches of forest in savannah areas. It is common in forested areas in the uplands where less hunting takes place, and forages on floodplains near headwater streams, in palm swamps, on hill sides and hill tops. Ecology The species has been little studied by researchers and its natural history is poorly known. However, the Matsés people, an indigenous tribe from the upper Amazon basin, were able to tell researchers a great deal about the animals. This armadillo is solitary and nocturnal. It spends the day in a burrow dug in the bank of a gully or beside a stream on the flood plain. The burrow has a single entrance, a pungent, leaf-lined sleeping chamber and a long retreat