Glyptotherium's carapace was strongly arched, with a convex pre-iliac and concave post-iliac, giving it a saddle-like overhang over the tail. In Glyptodon the top-bottom height of the carapace represents 60% of its total length, whereas in Glyptotherium it is taller at ca. 70%. The ventral margins of the carapace in Glyptotherium is much more rectangular and less convex than in Glyptodon. In Glyptotherium, the osteoderms in the antero-lateral areas of the carapace are less ankylosed than in Glyptodon, suggesting that the antero-lateral carapace regions of the former had more flexibility. The osteoderms of the caudal aperture are more conical in Glyptodon and more rounded in Glyptotherium, though in the latter the anatomy of the caudal aperture osteoderms varies by sex while in Glyptodon it varies by age. Although frequently used to differentiate the two taxa, Glyptotherium and Glyptodon have very similar osteoderm morphologies that differ only in several areas. Both genera have very thick osteoderms compared to those of many South American glyptodonts like Hoplophorus and Neosclerocalyptus, but Glyptotherium always preserve a "rossette" pattern, where the osteoderm's central figure is surrounded by a row of peripheral figures. Some Glyptodon specimens preserve these "rossettes", but others lack them. The central and radial sulci are deeper and broader in Glyptodon (ca. 4–6 mm) than in Glyptotherium (ca. 1–2.4 mm). Notably, Glyptotherium osteoderms preserve small gaps for hair follicles in the sulci that indicate that Glyptotherium had a "fuzzy" carapace with fur coming out. The number of follicoles varies between ages and the area of the carapace, with juveniles having more follicles than adults and fewer follicles are known from the lateral, caudal, and rear portions of the carapace. Caudal rings Glyptotherium is a glyptodont, meaning its caudal armor is made up of a series of caudal rings ending in a short caudal tube, in contrast to the mace-like ends in other glyptodonts, but the morphology differs between Glyptotherium, Glyptodon, and Boreostemma. Overall, Boreostemma preserves a more similar caudal armor to Glyptotherium than to Glyptodon. The caudal armor is longer in Glyptotherium than in Glyptodon, with one specimen of G. texanum (UMMP 34 826) preserving a meter long set of caudal armor. In Glyptotherium, the caudal armor length represents circa 50% of the dorsal carapace's total length, whereas in Glyptodon, this value is lower at around 30-40%. Glyptodon has 8–9 complete caudal rings plus one caudal tube, but Glyptotherium preserves 1 incomplete caudal