The top of the head has a shield, and the tail is usually encased by bony rings or plates. The scutes are covered by a layer of horny epidermis. The undersurface of the body and the inner surfaces of the limbs are covered with soft, haired skin. In many species hairs also project through openings between the scutes on the back. The scutes are brown to pinkish in color, and the pelage is grayish brown to white.
Armadillos have small ears.
The snout varies considerably in length and has a long, protrusible tongue. The hands have three, four, or five digits with powerful, curved claws, and the feet have five digits with claws. The lower bones of the legs are united proximally and distally. In females the mammae are usually located in the chest region, but an abdominal pair is occasionally present. The skull is flattened, and the lower jaw is elongate.