Armadillos
Although only common in certain areas of the United States, the nine-banded armadillo's primary damage is to landscapes. Their diet consists mostly of grubs and insects, but when they burrow, it can affect the very structure of buildings. If you are experiencing armadillo damage on your property, call Wildlife X Team® at (817) 431-3007.
Common Armadillo Issues
Armadillos are not known for getting into houses, but they can cause damage nonetheless.
- Ripped up landscapes/gardens to find insects
- Weakened foundations on buildings
Getting Rid of Armadillos
However uncommon, armadillos, like any other wildlife animal, are not a creature you want to have on your property. Call (817) 431-3007 today to talk with an armadillo specialist in Wildlife X Team®. We can remove armadillos from your property and prevent any future armadillo problems.
More About Armadillos
- The armadillo is native to both North America and South America, although only one species of Armadillo is found in the United States.
- The average armadillo measures around 75cm in length, including the tail, but the giant armadillo can grow to more than 1.5 m long and the miniature pink fairy armadillo (the smallest armadillo species) only gets to around 10cm in length.
- There are around 20 species of armadillo still existent on the American continent with the nine-banded armadillo being the only species found outside of the South American tropics.
- The armadillo has a hard outer shell and can curl up into a ball leaving no soft body parts exposed to danger (a bit like a woodlouse). The armadillo also has long claws which the armadillo uses for digging burrows and hunting for insects in the earth.
- Despite the armadillo’s odd shape, most armadillos can also reach a top speed of nearly 30 mph so can easily outrun most jungle predators. The primary predators of the armadillo are bears, wolves, wildcats, and cougars.
- The armadillo has very poor vision which makes the armadillo somewhat vulnerable in its jungle environment. Armadillos are insectivores that hunt mainly by hearing. The armadillo’s armor is formed by plates of bone covered in relatively small overlapping scales. The scales of the armadillo are known as scutes and these scutes are made up of bone with a covering of horn.
- The armadillo has additional armor that covers the top of its head, the upper parts of the armadillo’s limbs and the armadillo’s tail. The underside of the armadillo has no armor and is simply covered with soft skin and fur, hence its strategy of curling into a ball leaving only the armored plates exposed.
- The armadillo is generally an insectivore meaning that the diet of the armadillo is primarily comprised of insects. Armadillos also snack on other things including worms, spiders, snakes, and frogs although the exact diet of the armadillo is very much dependent on the area which it inhabits.
- Female armadillos give birth to four young which are born after a gestation period of three to four months. Some species of armadillo are known to reproduce every year so a single female armadillo can produce up to 56 young over the course of her life.