Armadillos
Armadillos are primarily found in the southern United States, and their damage is mostly outside. Their diet consists mainly of insects and grubs, but when armadillos burrow to find food, it can affect the integrity of your entire landscape. If you are experiencing armadillo damage on your property, call Wildlife X Team® at (817) 431-3007.
Common Armadillo Issues
Fortunately, armadillos aren't known for getting into homes, but they can cause extensive property damage, including:
- Torn-up landscapes/gardens as armadillos search for insects
- Weakened building foundations
- Pathways used for traveling, like sidewalks, roads and bridges, can be compromised by armadillo digging
Get Rid of Armadillos
However uncommon compared to rodents or raccoons, armadillos 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
Armadillo Appearance
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 limbs, and the 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.
Where Are Armadillos Found?
- The armadillo is native to both North America and South America, although only one species of Armadillo is found in the United States.
- There are around 20 species of armadillo that still exist on the American continents, but the nine-banded armadillo is the only species found outside of the South American tropics.
What Do Armadillos Eat?
- The armadillo is generally an insectivore, meaning that the majority of the diet is 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.
Armadillo Fun Facts
- Despite the armadillo’s odd shape, most armadillos can reach a top speed of nearly 30 mph so they can easily outrun most predators. The primary predators of the armadillo are bears, wolves, wildcats, and cougars.
- 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.