This omnivorous species is found in open areas, savannas, shrubland, and dry, semi-deciduous forest. It can be found in secondary forests, and may also occur in primary Amazonian forest (Redford and Wetzel 1985). It adapts well to habitat modifications and has been observed in timber plantations, corn, soybean, and sugar cane plantations, pasturelands, and areas with subsistence agriculture (Dotta and Verdade 2011, Superina and Abba 2018). In fact, in some parts of its range it is more common and abundant in degraded habitat than in protected areas (Abba et al. 2019). In Paraguay it is largely associated with drier environments in the tropical Chaco and Cerrado zones (Smith and Ríos 2018).

Euphractus sexcinctus is present in a wide area of South America, from western Guiana, southern Suriname, and adjacent Brazil to Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, and northern Argentina (Redford and Wetzel 1985, Superina and Abba 2018). It does not occur in Buenos Aires Province (Abba and Vizcaíno 2011, Abba et al. 2012, 2015). Studies in northern Brazil confirmed the occurrence of E. sexcinctus in Maranhão (Silva Júnior et al. 2001), Amapá (Silva Júnior and Nunes 2001), and parts of northern (Silva Junior et al. 2005a,b), northwestern (Oliveira et al. 2006), central (Lima et al. 2009), and eastern Pará (Andrade et al. 2006). Most of these records are located in the Cerrado and Amazon savanna. It occurs from sea level to at least 1,600 m asl.

Euphractus sexcinctus is present in many protected areas.