The nine-banded armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) is an armored mammal known across the Americas for its distinctive shell and habit of digging. While often perceived only as an insect eater, its diet is far more varied than a simple classification suggests. Armadillos are highly adaptable foragers whose feeding habits reflect opportunistic eating. The most common species functions less as a strict insectivore and more as a generalist consumer.
Defining the Armadillo’s Diet
The armadillo’s classification is often debated, but the question of whether it is an omnivore can be answered with a qualified yes. Scientists frequently describe the nine-banded armadillo as an insectivore because the bulk of their diet consists of insects and other invertebrates. However, a strict insectivore only consumes insects, while the armadillo consumes both animal and plant matter, which defines an omnivore. Biologists often classify them as “entomophagous omnivores” or “opportunistic generalists.”
This designation acknowledges that while insects are their main food source, they readily consume other items when available. Less than ten percent of their diet is composed of non-animal matter, but this consistent inclusion makes the “omnivore” label accurate. The armadillo’s flexible diet allows it to thrive across diverse habitats, from rainforests to scrublands.
Primary Food Sources and Opportunistic Eating
The foundation of the armadillo diet is animal matter, particularly small invertebrates located underground or in leaf litter. Favorite meals include beetle adults and larvae, ants, termites, and grubs, often making up over 90 percent of their intake by volume. Specific insect groups, such as Coleoptera (beetles) and Hymenoptera (ants and wasps), are heavily consumed throughout the year.
The opportunistic elements of the diet qualify the armadillo as an omnivore. They consume small vertebrates, including amphibians and slow-moving reptiles, especially when cold weather makes prey sluggish. Plant material, such as tubers, fungi, seeds, and small amounts of fruit, are eaten occasionally when insect availability is low. Armadillos also scavenge carrion, though they are more interested in the maggots and insect larvae present than the meat itself.
Specialized Foraging Behavior
Armadillos employ a highly effective foraging strategy to acquire their varied diet. They rely primarily on an acute sense of smell to locate food, compensating for their poor eyesight. They travel with their noses close to the ground, capable of detecting invertebrates up to 20 centimeters below the soil surface.
Once a food source is detected, the armadillo uses its powerful legs and sharp claws to dig rapidly, rooting through soil and leaf litter. This digging behavior is fundamental to their hunting success, exposing buried grubs and insect colonies. After uncovering their meal, they use a specialized long, sticky tongue, which can measure up to six inches, to efficiently lap up small insects, such as ants and termites.