Armadillos are unique mammals recognized by their distinctive, armor-like shells. The nine-banded armadillo, common in the southern United States, often reveals its presence through extensive digging in diverse habitats like forests, grasslands, and urban areas.
Typical Digging Depths
Armadillos create various types of excavations, with depths varying significantly based on purpose. Shallow foraging holes, dug for food, typically measure 1 to 3 inches deep and 3 to 5 inches wide. These smaller depressions often appear conical or half-moon shaped, resulting from the armadillo pushing its snout and forefeet into the soil.
More permanent burrows for shelter and breeding are substantially deeper and more extensive. These main burrows can extend 2 to 5 feet deep, though some reach 15 feet. Tunnels vary in length, from 4 to 25 feet. Depth and length depend on local soil conditions, with sandy or clay soils being particularly conducive to extensive digging.
Reasons Behind Their Digging
Armadillos’ extensive digging behavior is fundamental to their survival, driven by several motivations. They forage for food, primarily insects, grubs, worms, ants, and termites, which they locate underground using their acute sense of smell. Their powerful claws allow them to rapidly excavate soil to access these subterranean food sources.
Digging also provides shelter from predators and environmental extremes. Armadillos use burrows for resting, escaping threats, and raising their young. These underground dwellings offer protection from intense summer heat and winter cold, with armadillos spending a significant portion of their day underground, particularly during colder months. An individual armadillo may maintain multiple burrows, sometimes 5 to 11, across its territory, providing numerous escape routes and resting spots.
Characteristics of Armadillo Burrows
Identifying armadillo activity involves recognizing their excavations. Foraging holes are typically shallow, circular depressions measuring 3 to 5 inches wide and 1 to 3 inches deep, often accompanied by displaced dirt mounds. These smaller holes are commonly seen scattered across lawns and gardens.
Permanent armadillo burrows have more defined characteristics. Their entrances are typically circular or U-shaped, about 7 to 8 inches in diameter. Some burrows may feature multiple entrances for easier access and escape, and many connect through underground tunnels. These burrows are frequently located in areas with loose, porous soil, often near building foundations, under shrubs, along fences, or in wooded areas.