These animals have more hairs than do most armadillos. Hairs project from the scales of the body armor, and the limbs and belly are covered with whitish or light brown hairs. These armadillos usually inhabit open areas and seem best adapted to semidesert conditions. C. nationi is found only in grasslands at high altitudes. They are powerful diggers and live in burrows.
Activity is largely nocturnal in summer, to avoid the desert heat, and diurnal in winter.
The species C. villosus, when pursued, at first attempts to run away, often emitting a characteristic snarling sound. If unable to find a hole, it tries to burrow into the ground. If overtaken while running or if it does not have chance to burrow, this species draws in its feet, so that the edges of its armor are in contact with the ground, and is thus effectively protected against canid and avian predators. C. villosus anchors itself in its burrow by spreading its feet sideward and by bending its body so that the free hind edges of the bands grasp the walls of the burrow. The members of this genus regularly burrow under animal carcasses to obtain maggots and other insects and are said sometimes to burrow into carcasses.