The South American giant armadillo is a mammal covered in armour-plating made of horn and born. It lives alone, sheltering by day in burrows dug with its claws. At night it feeds mainly on insects. Habitat loss, especially through logging, has caused numbers to fall to just a few thousand animals scattered across the continent. The giant armadillo prefers termites and some ants as prey, and often consumes the entire population of a termite mound. It also has been known to prey upon worms, larvae and larger creatures, such as spiders and snakes, and plants.