Little Armored One 

by Barry Shedrow

Armadillo is Spanish for ‘little armored one.’ There are 21 species of armadillo, all of  which can be found in Central and South America. Only one species, the nine-banded  armadillo  (Dasypus  novemcinctus),  has  extended  its  range  north  into  the  United  States. This species can be found as far east as South Carolina and Florida and as far  north  as  southern  Nebraska  and  Indiana.  It  is  predicted  that  the  nine-banded  armadillo  will eventually  migrate as  far  north  as  Massachusetts. The  armadillo’s 

expansion  into North  America  is  primarily due  to  the  relative  lack  of natural  predators. Climate change (i.e., a warming environment) is also a factor. Armadillos  were  first reported in South Carolina in  the 1980s and their presence has recently  been noted on Seabrook Island.  

The armadillo, which is distantly related to anteaters and sloths, is the only mammal  with protective armor. This armor, which consists of dermal bone plates (originates  from  skin tissue),  covers  the  top  and  flanks  of  the  animal  from  neck to  tail.  The  armor  of  the  nine-banded  armadillo  consists  of  rigid  shoulder  and  hip  shields  separated by nine flexible bands. The name ‘nine-banded’ can be misleading, however,  because  the  animal’s armor  can  possess  anywhere from  six  to  11  bands.  The armadillo’s  head  is  small  with  a  long,  narrow,  pig-like  snout and  prominent  ears.  Like  anteaters,  armadillos  have  a long, sticky tongue for hunting ants  and  termites.  Armadillos have poor eyesight but possess an acute sense of smell which they use for hunting. They can smell prey located up  to  eight  inches  below the  ground’s  surface. They  also  have  wiry  hairs  along  their  sides and  belly which function as  ‘curb  feelers’ and assist  the animal in  feeling its  way  around  at  night.  Armadillos  possess  very  strong  legs  and  large,  sharp  front  claws  adapted  for  digging.  Nine-banded  armadillos  weigh  8 to  17  pounds  and  average  25  to  49 inches in length (including  the  tail). The average life  span in  the  wild is 7 to 10 years. On Seabrook Island, natural predators of the armadillo include  alligators, bobcats, coyotes and hawks.  

Armadillos  are  omnivores.  Most of  their  diet  consists  of  invertebrates  such  as  insects  (especially  their  larvae),  earthworms,  scorpions,  and  spiders.  Armadillos  also  eat  fruits  and  vegetation,  such  as  berries  and  roots.  During  cold weather,  lizards, small frogs, snakes and the eggs of upland birds are also on the menu.      

The  breeding  season  for  the  nine-banded  armadillo  begins  in  early  summer and  lasts  two  to  three  months.  After  conception,  the  fertilized  egg  breaks  into  four identical  zygotes,  yielding  quadruplets.  It  can  take  up  to  fourmonths  for  the  fertilized eggs  to become implanted. After a four-month gestation period, the pups  are born.  The pups  mature  quickly  and  become  independent  and  capable  of  reproducing 6 to  12  months  after their  birth. Normally,  females  will  produce  one  litter  per  year.  During  periods  of  environmental  stress,  females can  delay  the  implantation of fertilized eggs for up to two years.  

Armadillos live in  temperate  to warm  habitats with loose  sandy loam  soils.   They  prefer dense, shady forest cover and areas adjacent to creeks and rivers.  Armadillos  are prolific diggers.  They can cause extensive damage to turf and ornamental plants  as they forage for prey in the soil. Armadillos dig burrows that are seven or 8 inches  in diameter and  up  to  15  feet in length. They may  create multiple  burrows in  one  area.  On  pastureland,  livestock  can  be  injured  if  they  step  into  a burrow.  In  suburban  areas,  armadillos  can  burrow  under  foundations,  concrete  slabs,  driveways, and pools, impacting structural integrity.   

Armadillos  are  not  social  creatures,  spending  most  of  their  lives  alone  either  sleeping in their burrows (up to 16 hours per day) or foraging for food. Armadillos  are largely nocturnal, coming out to forage around dusk. The only time they interact  is  to  mate,  care  for  their  young,  or  to  huddle  together  to  share  body  heat  during  frigid weather.  

Armadillos  are  good runners  and  excellent swimmers. They  can  cross  streams  by  either  inflating  their  intestines with  air  and  floating  across  or  by  holding  their  breath  and  walking  across  the  stream  bottom.  Armadillos  are  also  capable  of climbing over a fence if they can’t dig under it. 

In response to a threat, most armadillo species simply dig a hole quickly and hunker  down  so  that  their  vulnerable  underside  is  protected  and  their  armor  is  the  only  exposed surface. Only one species of armadillo, the three-banded, can protect itself  by  rolling  up  into  a  ball.  The  nine-banded  armadillo  employs  a  different  defense  mechanism. When frightened, it will jump up 3 - 4 feet into the air. This instinctive  behavior  works  to  the  animal’s  disadvantage  in  North  America  where  there  is  an  extensive  network  of  highways.  When  the  animal is  crossing  a  highway and  is  confronted by an oncoming car, it jumps up, right into the grill or undercarriage of  the  moving  vehicle.  This  fatal  behavioral  trait  has  led  to  the  nickname  “hillbilly  speed bump”.   

Some  people  eat  armadillos  and  claim  it  tastes  like  pork.  During  the  Great  Depression,  the  animals  were  hunted  for  their meat in  Texas  and  were  known  as  ‘Hoover hogs’. Other consumers of armadillo meat refer to the animal as ‘possum on  the half-shell’.  

Armadillos  can  harbor  and  transmit  the  bacterium  Mycobacterium  leprae which  causes  leprosy in  humans.  Ironically,  it  is  humans  that  first  gave  the  disease  to  armadillos. Leprosy was introduced to the New World by Europeans in the late 15th

century and it is widely accepted  by  zoologists  that armadillos  contracted leprosy  from  these  newcomers  and  became  a  natural  reservoir  for  the  disease.  For  this  reason, if  you must handle  an  armadillo  (dead  or  alive),  avoid  doing  so with  bare  hands.   

Armadillo  control  methods  include  (a)  castor  oil  repellents  designed  to penetrate  the ground and make their prey distasteful and their burrow smell bad, (b) motion activated sprinklers designed to frighten the animals away with bursts of water, (c)  removing  cover  brush,  low-lying  bushes,  and  shrubs,  and  (d)  cleaning up  fallen  berries  and  fruits.  Tall  fences  or  barriers  may  exclude  armadillos  under  certain  conditions. In South Carolina, the armadillo can be trapped and dispatched on site, but it is illegal to transport and release the animal in a new location.   

So what’s the bottom line with Armadillos? They can play havoc with your lawn and  increase  your  blood  pressure  but  they  pose  little  danger to  humans  or  pets.    The  armadillo is  a  docile  animal  focused  on  eating  and  sleeping and,  occasionally,  reproducing.  However,  they can  inflict  injury  with  their  front  claws  if  handled  incorrectly.  Also, armadillos serve as a natural reservoir  for M leprae. Exposure to  an armadillo’s blood or consumption of its uncooked meat can result in leprosy. As  with any wild animal, treat armadillos with caution and view from a distance.  

barry@shedrow.com 

Web Resources: 

http://www.dnr.sc.gov 

http://wildlifecontroltraining.com 

http://lcwdm.org/ 

http://wildlifecontrol.info 

https://www.livescience.com/52390-armadillos.html 

http://www.softschools.com/facts/animals/armadillo_facts/49/ http://www.dnr.sc.gov/wildlife/publications/nuisance/armadillos.pdf