Cabassous McMurtrie, 1831

Dasypus Linnaeus, 1758:50. Part.

Tatu Blumenbach, 1779:74. Part.

Tatus Olfers, 1818:220. Part; Incorrect subsequent spelling of Tatu Blumenbach, 1779.

Tatusia Lesson, 1827:309. Part.

Xenurus Wagler, 1830:36. Type species Dasypus gymnurus Wied-Neuwied, 1826 (= Dasypus unicinctus Linnaeus) by monotypy. Preoccupied by Xenurus Boie, 1826.

Cabassous McMurtrie, 1831:164. Type species Dasypus unicinctus Linnaeus, 1758 by monotypy, originally proposed as subgenus of Dasypus Linnaeus. Name based in Cabassou (Cuvier, 1817:220) and Kabassou (Buffon, 1763:218).

Arizostus Gloger, 1841:114. Type species Dasypus gymnurus (= Tatus gymnurus Olfers, 1818) by monotypy.

Tatoua Gray, 1865:378. Type species Dasypus unicinctus Linnaeus, 1758 by monotypy, originally proposed as subgenus of Dasypus Linnaeus.

Ziphila Gray, 1873:22. Type species Ziphila lugubris Gray, 1873 by monotypy.

Lysiurus Ameghino, 1891:254. Replacement name for Xenurus Wagler, 1830 (name firstly used by Boie, 1826 to a tyrant flycatcher bird).

Cabassus Trouessart, 1905: 820. Incorrect subsequent spelling of Cabassous McMurtrie, 1831.

Cabassus Neveu-Lemaire & Grandidier, 1911: 103. Incorrect subsequent spelling of Cabassous McMurtrie, 1831.

Cabassous comprises small to medium armadillos (total length: 390-682 mm, weight: 1.3-6.3 kg). The head has a marked triangular shape with rounded snout and funnel-like ears placed at its lateral. Acephalic shield covers the dorsal portion of the head, but in some species it extends to the cheek region. The number of scutes on the cephalic shield varies according to the species and they might display a concentric organization. The number of movable bands ranges from 11 to 14. The hindfeet and forefeet have five fingers, the third and fourth digits of the forefeet exhibit robust claws. The tail lacks the full osteoderm cover present in other genera of armadillos, justifying the English name of the genus: naked-tailed armadillos. Nevertheless, the scales are small and sparsely distributed in the tail or located mainly in its distal portion. The color of the carapace varies from uniform yellowish-brown to dark brown. In some species, a distinct pale lateral stripe is present in the lower lateral portion of the carapace. The skull is robust, with the rostrum comprising 40% to 55% of the skull length. The frontal is well-developed and vaulted. The interlacrimal region is larger than the braincase. Some species exhibit a clear postorbital constriction. Palate is long, extending to the level of the squamosal process of the zygomatic arch. Teeth are overall cilindric, except the most anterior that is laterally compressed. The numbers of teeth vary from 8 to 10 on each quadrant of the upper and lower jaws; the most common is nine pairs in the maxilla and eight pairs in the mandible. Some individuals exhibit bilateral asymmetries in the number of teeth. The condylar process of the mandible is higher than the coronoid process.