The armadillo, known for its bony, armor-like shell, has a highly specialized diet. While commonly associated with the southeastern United States, various species inhabit regions stretching into South America. They are classified as insectivores, meaning their sustenance comes almost exclusively from small invertebrates. This dietary preference dictates their behavior, sensory reliance, and the impact they have on the environments they inhabit.
Primary Food Sources: The Insectivore Diet
The diet of the Nine-banded Armadillo, the species most prevalent in the U.S., is overwhelmingly composed of invertebrates. More than 90% of their ingested material is animal matter, specifically small insects and their larval forms. This dedicated focus on arthropods defines them as true insectivores.
A significant portion of this animal matter consists of beetle larvae, commonly known as grubs, which they locate just beneath the soil surface. They also heavily consume adult beetles, earthworms, termites, and ants, making them natural predators of many common garden and lawn pests. The specific composition varies seasonally and geographically, but subterranean invertebrates remain the foundation of their energy intake.
Termites and ants are often consumed in large quantities when they locate a colony, providing a concentrated meal of protein and fat. Spiders and small scorpions are also included in the opportunistic hunt, rounding out the diverse menu of arthropods they encounter.
Hunting Methods and Sensory Reliance
Armadillos possess poor vision, making their eyes almost irrelevant for locating food. Instead, they rely on a highly developed sense of smell, which is the primary tool used for foraging in low-light conditions and underground. This acute olfactory ability allows them to detect the faint chemical signatures of invertebrates buried several inches deep within the substrate.
Once the scent of a grub or termite nest is detected, the armadillo initiates its characteristic rooting behavior. Using its snout, it pushes through the leaf litter and soft topsoil, often creating a furrowing pattern across the ground. This initial rooting helps confirm the prey’s location before any significant digging begins.
The physical act of capturing prey involves rapid, shallow excavation performed with their strong, spade-like claws. They typically dig small, conical holes, just large enough to expose the target insect or larva. A long, slender, and sticky tongue is then deployed to rapidly lap up the exposed invertebrates, allowing them to process a substantial number of small prey items quickly.
Addressing Dietary Variety and Misconceptions
While their diet is overwhelmingly insect-based, armadillos are opportunistic feeders and will occasionally supplement their meals with other items they encounter. This secondary consumption, however, rarely accounts for more than ten percent of their total caloric intake.
On occasion, plant material such as wild berries, fruits, or certain fungi will be ingested, particularly when invertebrate prey is scarce or during specific seasonal shifts. They are also known to scavenge small amounts of carrion, such as roadkill, or consume the eggs of ground-nesting birds or reptiles if they are easily accessible. They are not effective predators of larger animals.
This dietary flexibility means the armadillo is not strictly a meat-eater. Unlike rodents or deer, they rarely target vegetable gardens or cultivated crops for consumption, focusing their energy instead on locating the protein-rich invertebrates beneath the soil.
Impact of Foraging on Yards and Gardens
The most noticeable interaction the average person has with armadillos is the physical evidence left behind in yards and gardens. The shallow excavations they perform to reach subterranean prey result in characteristic small, conical holes across the turf. These holes typically measure between one and three inches deep and several inches wide.
It is important to recognize that this disturbance is a consequence of the armadillo hunting for grubs and earthworms, not an attempt to consume the roots or foliage of the plants themselves. The damage is a byproduct of their highly efficient insectivore lifestyle. The armadillo effectively acts as a natural soil aerator, albeit an unwelcome one for lawn enthusiasts.
The presence of these foraging holes often serves as a reliable indication that the soil harbors a high population of their preferred food sources, such as beetle larvae. If the area were devoid of subterranean invertebrates, the armadillo would quickly move on to a richer feeding ground.