A 10,000-year-old armadillo-like shell was found by two veterinarians interested in paleontology. The two vets discovered the shell of a glyptodont while they were digging in Uruguay's northern province on Sunday.

According to EFE, per Fox News Latino, the large and long-extinct specimen was said to be an "armored, plant-and insect-eating, bear-like creature." The glyptodont weighed up to 1.5 tons, and this recent discovery could very well be the largest example of a glyptodont ever unearthed in Uruguay.

It is believed that the long extinct creature lived during the Pleistocene epoch. Paleontologists believed that the ancient creature was probably the same size as that of a Volkswagen Beetle. Its rounded, bony shell and squat limbs, made it resemble a turtle.

Dr. Gerardo Haran and his colleague, Feliciano Rosas, found the large armadillo-like "shell," which was reported to measure 1.77 meters (5.8 feet) long. Haran told the publication that he and Haran were out looking for some "small fossils."

He added that they were excited over the discovery. They alerted the local authorities and paleontologists with the Natural History Museum in Montevideo right away. These parties will conduct various studies on the recent find.

Florida Gov. Carlos Enciso told the publication that the recent find was of "great importance" to the country. He added that researchers will be employed to carry out their work on the animal.

In a report with National Geographic, other fossils were discovered in mud, including a hippo-like animal called a  toxodon, a saber-toothed cat as well as an elephant-like mastadon. , these large animals once dominated the Americas, and their numbers back then could easily rival that of the African Savannah. 

According to the discoveries of paleontologists over the years, some of the bones have markings of human tools. This would suggest that the glyptodont, among the other unearthed animals, were hunted for food. 

This was not the only find on South American soil. According to Mining.com, oil companies accidentally unearthed gigantic animal fossils as old as 370 million years in 2013. These fossils included a Volskwagen-sized armadillo, a bus-sized crocodile, a saber-tooth tiger, a featherless, iguana-like, chicken as well as a three-meter pelican.